Starting Over
by CarolinaGirl96
Summary: Can Sookie recover from a divorce and shocking news enough to love again? Can Eric help her see she can? This is an all human story, not the Sookie and Eric from the books. Rated T for now, but maybe M in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first attempt at writing. I hope you'll like it. I don't own any of these characters. They are the property of Charlaine Harris. I just hope she doesn't mind me borrowing them for a while. I'm poor, so please don't sue!**

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**Starting Over**

Chapter 1:

I flopped onto the couch, utterly exhausted. I had finally unpacked the last of the boxes. I've moved before of course, but this time seemed to wipe me out much worse for some reason. _'Who are you trying to kid Sookie? You know EXACTLY why this time was harder on you. Just nobody else knows….yet.'_ I grabbed the TV remote and began flipping channels, so very grateful for my brother, Jason. He had hooked my TV, DVD player, and satellite up before he left. I would have been so lost if I tried to do that. I finally settled on a movie I'd seen a hundred times at least, but I still loved it. I think I caught 5 minutes of it before I was out.

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I stretched and then realized that I'd spent the first night in my new place on the couch. As I chuckled to myself I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. I barely made it to the bathroom. _'Boy, I hope this doesn't last too long. Not a great way to start the day.'_ I brushed my teeth then went to the kitchen to see if I had anything that could help settle my stomach. I really need to go to the store today. I found some crackers in a cabinet. _'Whew!!'_ As I ate a few crackers, my tummy began to settle and I made plans to go to the store. As I was getting out of the shower, I heard my phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sis!! Did you sleep OK last night?"

"Hey Amelia! Yes, I slept fine, but it was on the couch. Jason had hooked the TV up before he left and I crashed while watching a movie."

"Sounds like you. What are your plans for today?"

"I was actually getting ready to head over to Wally World and get some food and stuff for the place. I have a pretty empty kitchen here. Wanna go?"

"Sure, mind if Pam goes too? We could use a few things here."

"Nah, the more the merrier."

"See ya in a half hour?"

"Sounds great. Bye"

"Bye Sookie!"

I laughed as we hung up. My little sister is so happy. I'm glad too. She was worried how Jason and I would react to her relationship with Pam, but we figure as long as she's happy then we're happy for her. Pam sure treats her better than the jerk I had treated me. Amelia came through for me in a BIG way during the absolute worst time of my life. Not only did she let me know about this townhouse going up for sale in her neighborhood, but she happens to be a paralegal for the best divorce attorney in the state and convinced him to help me out. Mr. Cataliades was superb and got me set for life if I'm smart. _'OK, that's enough Sookie. You aren't going to focus on all of that mess today. Keep positive!'_ I told myself as I finished getting ready. I threw on a pair of blue jean shorts, a pale pink tank top, and pulled my hair up in a ponytail. I heard Amelia at my door as I was slipping into my favorite flip flops. I grabbed my purse and keys then headed out the door to get some serious shopping done!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't own any of these characters. They are the property of Charlaine Harris. I just hope she doesn't mind me borrowing them for a while. I'm poor, so please don't sue!**

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Chapter 2:

As we were making our way through the various aisles of the store, I couldn't believe how fast my buggy seemed to be filling up. Course this is the first time I've lived on my own and since I just got moved in, I have to get all kinds of stuff. Amelia must have been reading my mind.

"Hey Sookie, since Pam is handling our buggy, why don't I go round up another cart for you. It looks like you're gonna need it!"

"Thanks a bunch Amelia. This being my first trip since moving in, there's a lot I need to get." She rushed off to get a second buggy for me. I haven't really had a chance to talk to Pam much since my move and all happened so fast. We actually get along great. She's just like another little sister now. I don't know that much about her except that she's crazy about my sister, she's a great chef, her parents died a few years ago, and she has an older brother that she adores and he has really taken care of her most of her life. She and Amelia both have said many times that I need to meet her brother. I can't recall his name right now, but I'm sure it'll come to me.

"Sookie, I wanted to let you know how happy I am that you're in the neighborhood now."

"Thanks Pam, I'm glad too."

"I don't know if Amelia has mentioned this to you or not, but we're having a cookout this weekend and we'd love for you to come."

"Thanks Pam. A cookout actually sounds like fun. Maybe I will come. Are you having it at the pool or at your place?"

"This one will be just a few people, so our place. We aren't going all out on this one." There's a community pool in the neighborhood that residents can reserve for parties and such - just one of the perks of living in this neighborhood. Amelia and Pam have had several parties there, and though I've always been invited, I've never been allowed to attend. That is changing right now!

"Well, count me in. That is if Amelia can handle her big sister hanging around a whole evening….."

"Hey, I heard that!" Amelia said from behind me. I just grinned and winked at Pam as she grinned back. "I guess I can handle ONE night with my big sister, if I HAVE to." Amelia sighed, even putting her hand to her forehead in dramatic style.

"You'll finally get to meet my big brother Sookie! He's coming to the cookout too." Pam said.

"I've heard a lot about him from you and Amelia. Can't wait to meet him! What's his name again?"

"Eric"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As always, I don't own any of these characters. They are the property of Charlaine Harris. I just hope she doesn't mind me borrowing them for a while. I'm poor, so please don't sue!**

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Chapter 3:

We helped Sookie get all of her bags in her place before we headed home. Pam and I had started out as simply friends and roommates, but we quickly became much more than that. Now we're in love and very happy. Both of us were pretty nervous about telling our siblings about our relationship, but we shouldn't have. Jason, Sookie, and Eric were all great about it. They all felt that as long as we were happy, then they would be happy for us. We want them to be as happy as we are though. Jason is pretty set in his bachelor ways at the moment, so I'm not too worried about him, but Sookie is a completely different story.

I hated Bill for how he had always treated her and then the way things ended was just plain horrible. I did a huge happy dance with Pam the day Sookie called and said they were getting a divorce. I knew it was huge for her to finally reach that decision, so I immediately called my boss and he was more than happy to represent her. I had filled him in on some of it and he thought it was bad. Once he met Sookie and heard her story, he had decided to go for the kill so to speak and got her a lot more than Sookie ever imagined was possible. That's what enabled her to buy the townhouse in our neighborhood when it came up for sale. I knew she was on the road to recovery, but I couldn't help but have a sinking feeling too. Like there was something else going on with her that she wasn't telling. I hope she'll open up to someone soon. She should know by now that holding things in can be very bad. As if she was reading my mind, Pam spoke up.

"So, do you really think Sookie's ready to be 'set up' so soon? It's only been a month."

"Since she doesn't know we're hoping to set her up with your brother, I think she'll be fine. Sookie has always been a little naïve, so I'm pretty sure she hasn't figured it out. I could never stand that low life she was married to. I was **so **happy when she was finally free of him!"

"Yes, I remember how happy you were that night. I'm glad for her too. She deserves so much better than him."

"Besides, we've thought that your big brother and my big sister would be great for each other for ages now!"

"That's true. Eric has been through a lot himself. I can't believe how many women just want him because of his looks or his money. They don't even try to get to know him. He's so great. I'm just grateful that he hasn't been trapped by any of them. After seeing what your sister went through, I can't imagine Eric going through that."

"Yeah, your brother is pretty great. I wouldn't agree to set Sookie up with just anyone. I think he is exactly what she needs, whether she knows it yet or not."

Pam had come up behind me and put her arms around me by this point. "I feel the same about Sookie. I think she is what Eric needs too. Course all we're really setting up right now is a way for them to meet. Let's just see what happens."

"Deal. Now, why don't we finish putting all this stuff away and head to the pool to relax!"

"Sounds great!"

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As I was putting away my mountain of items from the store, I began to realize that I was actually looking forward to Amelia and Pam's cookout. Not only is Pam a great chef, so I know the food will be out of this world, but I'm looking forward to being around people again. I've been alone too much lately. Bad things happen when you're alone too much. I began thinking back to the last time I saw Bill.

A couple of months ago he had come by our home, now being sold to some other happy couple. Maybe they'd have better luck there. He was getting the last of his things. We talked a little and before I knew it, we were kissing. What can I say, I was weak from being so lonely. One thing then led to another. I regretted my actions as soon as we were done, but what's done is done as they say. He agreed it was a big mistake and left. I didn't see him again until a month or so ago when we were given our final divorce papers. I was free of him. He had been my first love and the only man I'd ever been with, but he hurt me more than I ever thought was possible. Little did I know that something much worse was coming my way, and soon.

Of course that one weak moment I'd had would change my life forever. I am still waiting for Bill's reaction to the news. Who knows what he'll want to do or how involved he'll want to be. I haven't told anyone else about my little situation yet, not even my brother or sister. I guess I'm waiting for Bill's reaction. I don't know why. I am very grateful that this townhouse isn't a one bedroom though. I let out a deep sigh and realize I've been doing that a lot lately. I don't like being alone. My mind wanders too much to the bad things when I am. I've pretty much resolved myself to the fact that I will be alone though. What guy could possibly ever think that being with me would be worth having to deal with the huge mess that has become my life.

Another sigh.

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A/N: OK, this is what I have done so far. I'll update as often as I can if you think I should keep going. The next chapter will be the cookout. Please be as gentle as you can, but honest. I'm a little nervous. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

As the next few days passed, I became more comfortable in my new place and with the other changes I was dealing with. I made it to my first doctor's appointment and found out everything is fine. I was put on some vitamins, the doctor told me what I could expect, and he told me that I would be having an ultrasound at my next visit just to make sure everything was going well. Great. I know I should be happier, but I think I'm still in a little bit of shock over the whole thing.

Saturday arrived at last. Amelia and Pam's cookout is today! Maybe I can finally have a little fun and stop thinking about my screwed up life-for a while anyway. I decided to see if I could bring anything or help them so I picked up the phone. After a couple of rings, I heard a breathless "Hello?"

"Hey Pam! It's Sookie."

"Oh, hey Sookie. What's up? You aren't calling to cancel on us are you?"

I winced at that question. I could tell Pam was really hoping that's not why I was calling. "Oh no! Actually, I was calling to see what time I needed to be there and if I could bring anything or help y'all out in someway."

"No, no Sookie, we got it all under control. I'm just finishing up with the food prep now. How 'bout you come around 5:00."

"OK. If you're sure I can't help, I guess I'll see ya at 5:00."

"OK- Bye Sookie!"

"Bye Pam!"

I hate that she automatically thought I was calling to cancel, course how can I blame her. That's exactly what has happened every time I'd accepted an invitation before. I would mention it to Bill and he would get really angry and forbid me to go. He would make me call while he was sitting there to cancel. I finally just quit accepting invitations. Bill was pretty controlling over me. I'm so glad I'm free of him….mostly at least.

Now-back to positive things. What should I wear tonight? I headed to my closet. Amelia and I had done a little shopping one evening and I had a few really cute dresses. I wanted to wear something new tonight! I chose a periwinkle sundress that had daisies embroidered all over it and a pair of flat, white sandals. I am so excited about a simple cookout. I haven't really "lived" much lately. Ah, another sigh.

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I was locking my door about 10 minutes till 5. Amelia and Pam's place was only a few minutes walk from mine and since it was going to be such a nice night, I decided to enjoy it. As I got to their driveway, my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered. "Hello?"

"Ms. Stackhouse?" I had gone back to my maiden name after the divorce.

"Yes, this is Sookie Stackhouse."

"This is Victor Madden, Mr. Compton's attorney. Do you have a moment?"

My stomach was in knots. "Yes, what can I do for you Mr. Madden?"

"Mr. Compton has informed me of the new situation and how he wishes to proceed. I wanted to let you know that draft documents will be delivered to your home this evening, detailing Mr. Compton's wishes. You may look over them with your attorney and we can proceed when you have done that."

My mind was reeling. "Tonight? It's Saturday…I won't be home."

"Not to worry. The drafts can be left in your mailbox at this point. Have your attorney contact me once you've gone over everything. Have a nice evening Ms. Stackhouse." Click. He'd hung up. I guess Bill isn't even going to talk to me about this.

I sank down to the driveway, putting my head in my hands. I had to get myself together before going inside. I'm just not ready to go into all of this with Amelia…not yet at least. I wasn't thinking about other guests arriving.

I felt a hand on my shoulder as I heard a deep voice. "Excuse me, are you OK?" I looked up into the bluest eyes I have ever seen in my life. He was squatting down in front of me and he looked truly concerned. My heart actually skipped a beat I think.

"Oh yes, I'm fine." He looked like he wasn't buying it for a second. He raised one gorgeous eyebrow at me as if to say 'Bullshit.' "I just received a call I wasn't expecting, but I'll be alright."

"That's more like it." The mystery guest said as he smiled down at me. Then he offered me his hand and as I took it, he helped me stand. I stood in front of him, still holding his hand, and I looked up into his amazing blue eyes again. _'Wow – he is ... beautiful.'_ That was all I could think about. Of course he's gorgeous, but there's something more than that. I can see it in his eyes. I feel a stirring inside me that I've never felt before. He's really tall, over 6 feet easy and he has shoulder length blond hair that was pulled back in a low pony tail. But it's his eyes that are really getting to me. I managed to stop myself from staring and break the silence.

"Thank you for helping me up. I didn't mean for anyone to see me like that." Why on earth did I tell him that? For some unexplained reason, I feel completely comfortable with this guy.

"No problem, and your secret is safe with me." He winked as he gave me a smile. I was becoming a pile of goo. Why am I reacting this way?

"My name is Eric, and you are…."

"Oh my God, you're Pam's brother!" I am really excited because I might be able to see him more than just tonight. Where the hell did that come from?!

"Yeah, I'm her brother. Who are you?" He was a little surprised.

"Oh sorry, I'm Sookie." I was smiling bigger than I've smiled in a long time.

"Ah, you're Amelia's sister! I've heard a lot about you Sookie. I'm very glad to finally meet you."

"I've heard a lot about you too. The feeling is mutual." My grin was going to crack my face soon and we were still holding hands.

"Well, I guess we should go on in." Eric motioned towards the door.

"I suppose you're right." I was sad when our hands separated, but as we started walking to the door, his hand found the small of my back. The stirring I'd been feeling was turning into a tingling and I couldn't figure it out. I've **never** tingled before.

He rang the doorbell and Amelia opened the door. She did a double take when she saw the goofy grin on my face and then she noticed Eric's arm around me (kinda anyway). A huge smile broke out on her face as she started talking.

"Hey Sook! I see you already met Eric."

"Hey Amelia." I stepped inside and gave her a big hug as I whispered to her "You never told me he was so gorgeous! Is he single?" I can't believe I just asked her that, but I needed to know.

As she hugged me back, she chuckled softly "Yes, he's single, and gorgeous huh?" I released a breath I didn't know I was holding and walked on in.

I looked back as Eric came in and gave Amelia a big hug. I was a little jealous that she was in his arms. But I quickly stamped that down because I knew she thought of him as another big brother. He has kept his eyes on me the whole time and had a little smirk on his face. Oh, I hope he didn't hear me ask Amelia if he's single! Amelia giggled as he said something to her and winked at me. Why do my cheeks have to turn so very red when I blush?

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A/N: OK, this is getting kinda long, so I'm gonna have to stretch this out over 2 chapters. Thank everyone so much for reading and the reviews. This is AWESOME! :o)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Well, my cheeks slowly returned to their normal color as Pam came out of the kitchen. She gave me a quick hug and said how happy she was that I was here. Then she went over to Eric, who gave her a big bear hug. I followed Amelia into the kitchen.

:What did Eric say to you when he came in?" I had to know what was going on and why I was blushing. I can't remember the last time I actually blushed.

Amelia giggled again. "He was just telling me he was glad he was finally meeting you Sis." I could tell there was more to it by the Cheshire cat grin on her face.

"Spill the rest 'Sis'. I know there's more to it than that."

"OK, OK. He heard you ask if he was single and he liked that you were asking. He also thinks you're a 'knock-out'!"

My goofy grin was back and in full force. "Really?! Well, even so – I'd never stand a chance with a guy like him. Especially once he found out about my messed up life." My grin was gone as I said the last statement.

Amelia was upset now. "Dammit Sookie – you stop that shit right now! You have nothing to be ashamed of. So you made a bad choice, who hasn't? It's over now. I will NOT listen to you talk bad about yourself because of the things that lowlife, Bill Compton, did to you! You deserve so much more and I personally think Eric would be great for you."

"OK Amelia – calm down! I'm sorry I got you so worked up. I'll try to think better of myself, but that's gonna take some time. And as far as Eric goes, I just met the man. Let's just see what happens. I don't know if I'm even ready for another relationship. I have some serious trust issues after Bill you know. What I do know is that I'm STARVING!" I shot a smile at Amelia and saw her calming down.

She smiled back and we joined everyone else. Since we'd gone in the kitchen, some other guests had arrived. Jason saw us and grabbed both of us into a big bear hug. What is it with brothers and bear hugs anyway?

"Hey Amelia, thanks for inviting me! It's SO good to see you Sookie! How are you doing?"

"It's only been a few days since you saw me Jason. I'm doing OK." I laughed at Jason's concern over me, but then I thought about everything he'd had to watch me go through and I could understand where he was coming from.

"I'm gonna get a beer Sook, you want something?" I asked for a soda. Thankfully, I've never been much of a drinker, so it shouldn't raise any flags that I'm not drinking tonight.

While Jason was getting the drinks, I looked around the room to see who else was here. I saw one of Pam's coworkers, I think her name is Felicia but I'm not positive. The doorbell rang and I saw Amelia letting our cousin, Sam, and his fiancée, Tara, in. Sam saw me and ran over to give me a big hug. He told me how happy he was to see me and he was glad I was finally away from Bill. He said he knew I was probably still hurting a little, but that it really was for the best. After I promised I would come to his bar soon, he wandered off to find Tara, who was talking to Pam and Felicia. He has always gotten me. I have missed Sam. We were pretty close before I married Bill. I am really starting to notice how closed off I have been, even from my own family. How stupid was I anyway, to let Bill do that to me?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice Eric coming towards me. I let out a gasp when a cold can touched my arm. Eric was smiling at me and chuckled a little, "I didn't mean to scare you Sookie. I just wanted to give you your drink. It looks like Jason got distracted." I looked over and saw Jason hitting on Felicia. Figures…Jason can't go one night without hitting on some woman.

"Thank you Eric. I guess I just zoned out for a minute." I took the drink and smiled up at him. Before either of us could say anything else, Pam announced that it was time to eat and we all headed for the patio.

Amelia and Pam, probably more like Pam actually, had set up a bar for everyone to go through and fix their plates. After our plates were fixed and we had our drink, we were to just find a seat at the long table they had set up. I was a little surprised when Eric sat down beside me. Amelia and Pam sat across from us. Sam and Tara sat on the other side of me while Felicia and Jason sat across from them. The food was fantastic, just like I thought it would be. Once everyone was settled, easy conversations started up and I began to relax. I learned that Eric is an attorney and Amelia had put in a good word for him with her boss, so he now works in Mr. Cataliades office. He also owns a townhouse in this neighborhood, so that explained why he had walked over tonight, just like me.

I also found out that Sam and Tara were planning on getting married in the spring. They were now running his bar, Merlotte's together and Sam said he was having a much easier time with Tara helping him. I could tell that they were very happy together.

Pam told us that she had been offered a promotion at work and was now head chef. We all congratulated her and she made everyone promise to come in on Friday night to try some of the new dishes that were creations of hers. Everyone agreed it sounded like fun. Amelia was just beaming with pride at Pam. They are so very happy together too. Then I noticed that Eric was beaming at Pam too.

It was starting to get late and I realized how tired I was getting and I still had to walk back home. I went to tell Sam and Tara good night and he reminded me that I'd promised to visit his bar soon. Then I gave Jason a hug and told him I wanted him to come by for supper one night soon. He said that sounded great (Jason never turns down a home cooked meal if he can help it) and asked if I wanted him to run me home. I assured him it wasn't a long walk and that I would enjoy it.

As I was thanking Amelia and Pam for a great evening, Eric came up behind me. He said he was heading out too and gave Pam a hug, congratulating her again. Once we were outside, Eric looked down at me and asked "Mind if I walk you home Sookie?"

My stomach did a flip flop, and even though I **really** wanted to say yes, I hated for him to go out of his way like that. "I'll be fine Eric. I'd hate for you to put yourself out like that."

"Nonsense Sookie. It's a great night and even though this is a good neighborhood, a young woman like you shouldn't be walking around at night alone. You never know."

That made sense to me, so I thanked him and we headed off for my house. The night really was very pleasant for a walk. I was shocked at how at ease I felt around Eric. I didn't think I would ever feel this way around a man again. But, I refuse to get my hopes up for something happening between Eric and me. I still think he's out of my league. He's probably just being nice to me because I'm Amelia's sister. Oh, enough of this. I'll think about it tomorrow. _'Just enjoy being with him while you can Sookie!'_

I was so lost in my own thoughts again that it surprised me when Eric said "Penny for your thoughts."

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Eric. Just zoning out again I guess."

"I was wondering something. Are you planning on going to Pam's restaurant Friday night?"

"Yeah, I am. I think it will be fun and I can't wait to try her creations. She really is a great chef!" I could tell he like my praise of his sister.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me Friday?" He actually seemed nervous. Was he asking me out on a _date_!?

"That sounds good. We would save gas by carpooling." Lame. I know, but I wasn't sure if he was thinking this would be a date or not and I didn't want to assume anything.

"Yes, it will be good to save gas and all, but I was actually thinking more along the lines of a date if that's OK with you Sookie." He winked and smiled down at me when he said this and I just melted again. "I would really like to get to know you better."

Well, if I don't have a heart attack right now, I'll be doing great. Eric just asked me out on a date and admitted he wants to get to know me better. Oh. My. God.

"That sounds nice Eric. I think I would like to get to know you better too." I blushed again. Why do I do that?! Eric just chuckled when he saw me blush.

We had arrived at my house by this point. I was really nervous all of the sudden. Was he going to kiss me good night? Did I want him too? I hadn't even noticed the large envelope sticking out of my mailbox until Eric pointed it out. "Looks like you've had a delivery." I looked over at it and my stomach clenched up. I had completely forgotten about the delivery from Mr. Madden's office. Crap.

Eric seemed to notice the change in my mood. "What's wrong Sookie?"

"Oh nothing, just some paperwork I'd forgotten about."

"Well, I hate to ask you this, I'm actually a little embarrassed, but would it be possible for me to use your bathroom before I head home? All the beer from tonight seems to have caught up with me."

"No problem." I opened the door and showed Eric where the bathroom was. I decided to put the envelope in my bedroom so I could go through it once Eric had gone home. As I headed upstairs, I began opening the envelope. I pulled out a smaller envelope that was on top of some official looking documents. I knew right away that this was from Bill. I recognized his handwriting on the outside of the envelope. As I reached the top of the stairs, I pulled a letter out of the smaller envelope. I guess Bill isn't going to talk to me about this.

_Sookie,_

_I am sorry this happened to you. I know I said many times that I wanted children, but the truth is I do not. I would support you if you decided to abort this pregnancy, but knowing you, you won't do that. If you decide to keep the baby, I can't help you. I don't want a baby Sookie. I have asked Victor to draw up papers that will relieve me of any and all rights and responsibilities to this child. I don't want to be listed on the birth certificate either Sookie._

_Good Luck,_

_Bill_

I became very lightheaded. As I finished the letter, I could feel the room beginning to spin. The last thing I remember thinking is _'Oh God, I really am all alone.'_ Then everything went black.

Eric

I really was a little embarrassed at having to ask Sookie if I could use her bathroom, but there was a part of me that just wasn't ready to leave yet. Pam and Amelia had told me about some of the shit she's been dealing with and I feel for her. But when I finally met her, I can't explain it…something in me stirred. I was drawn to her. I've never reacted this way to anyone. When I heard her ask Amelia if I was single, my heart wanted to sing! I kept trying to get close to her all night. She was so cute when she blushed after I made Amelia giggle when we first came in. When I heard her getting ready to leave, I wanted to walk her home. Something inside me was screaming for me to protect her. But protect her from what?

As we walked towards her house, I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out for Friday night. It was so cute that I actually had to clarify that I did consider it a date. But then her whole demeanor changed when I pointed out the envelope. She looked scared and I didn't like it. That's why I asked to use the bathroom. I wasn't ready to leave yet, not with that look on her face.

When I came out of the bathroom, I didn't see Sookie anywhere. As I walked towards the stairs, I heard a noise that sounded like something falling. I looked up and saw Sookie falling down the stairs. It was like slow motion in the movies. I was frozen. When she reached to bottom, she hit her head hard on the wood floor. I ran to her.

"Sookie, SOOKIE!"

With no response, I grabbed the phone and called 911. After I gave them the information, I just looked at Sookie. I wanted to put something soft under her head, but I was afraid to move her. I noticed she had dropped whatever was in the envelope, so I gathered it up. I wasn't trying to be nosy, but I noticed something in what appeared to be a letter that I couldn't ignore. I read the letter and looked back at Sookie. I knew I could not leave her, ever.

I heard the siren and went to the door to let the EMTs in. I also informed them of her condition since they needed to know that when treating her. Once they loaded her on the gurney and got her in the ambulance, they asked if I wanted to ride with her. I didn't hesitate and jumped in beside her.

On the way to the hospital, I decided to make a call. After making sure it was OK, I called Pam. I asked her if Jason was still there and she said he was just getting ready to leave. I told her that she needed to get him and Amelia and meet me at the Emergency Room.

"What's wrong Eric, you're scaring me."

"It's Sookie."

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A/N: So, what do you think? Eric knows now. Should she lose the baby or should both of them be OK? Let me know your thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: First off, I want to thank everyone for the reviews!! They are so awesome! I had an idea of where I want this story to go already, but I was interested in your opinions on the baby. Thanks so much for sharing. I hope that those of you who voted for this to go the other way aren't too disappointed and will continue reading. My chapters seem to just keep getting longer and longer! :o) I am really enjoying this experience.

As always, I don't own any of these characters, they all belong to Ms. Harris and I hope she doesn't mind me borrowing them for a little while.

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Chapter 6:

Eric

I didn't give Pam any details. I just told her to get Amelia and Jason to the Emergency Room and I'd find them as soon as I could. I am just floored. Pam never mentioned that Sookie is having a baby. I wonder if they even know about this. My guess is they don't. And who the hell is this unbelievable asshole that is just leaving her to deal with all this without a second glance? What I wouldn't give to bump into him one day….preferably with my fist. Well, if I have my way, she won't be alone ever again. I can't explain it and I sure as hell don't understand it, but something deep inside me is telling me that Sookie is the one I've been looking for. Somehow I just know that she will make me so unbelievably happy. This loser, _Bill_ doesn't want the baby, then I'll make damn sure he can't change his mind later and the baby will be mine. Where is this overwhelming need to protect BOTH of them coming from?

Course, I need to convince Sookie that I am the one for her. I bet it's going to be extremely hard to get her to trust me. Well hell, that's completely understandable after dealing with this jerk. Why would she trust anyone at this point? Oh, she's starting to wake up…

Sookie

I start coming around and sense that I'm moving. I open my eyes and it looks like I'm in an ambulance. _'Why would I be in an ambulance?'_ I look to my side and see beautiful blue eyes, full of concern. I immediately feel calm. _'Eric.'_ I smile at him and he smiles back. Then I remember reading Bill's letter and everything going black.

"What happened Eric? Why am I in an ambulance?"

"Well, when I came out of the bathroom, I found you falling down the stairs. You hit your head pretty hard at the bottom and gave me one hell of a scare. How are you feeling?" He looks so worried about me.

"My head does hurt and I'm a little sore. I fell down the stairs?" Then realization hits me. I panic and grab my belly. "Oh my god! What about my…" I stop because I'm scared to tell Eric about the baby. Something is telling me I can trust him, but I'm afraid to.

"Shh Sookie, it's OK." He takes my hand as I notice him putting my papers beside him. He sees me look at them. "I wasn't trying to be nosey Sookie. While we were waiting for the ambulance, I saw that you had dropped them when you fell. When I picked them up, I glanced at what looked like a letter and saw the word 'baby'. Then I read it, but I'm glad I did because I was able to let the EMTs know and they could treat you accordingly." I could feel the sincerity in his words.

"I'm not angry with you Eric. You may have saved both of our lives tonight. The baby's OK, right?" I'm still in panic mode a little and clutching my belly.

"We'll know more once we get to the hospital." Tears begin to fall down my face as I pray for my baby to be OK. Till this moment, I wasn't sure how I felt about having this baby. Now I know exactly how much I really want him or her. I don't even care that Bill doesn't want either one of us. He can kiss my ass for all I care. I just want my baby to be OK.

"Tears are still falling when I feel a large hand cup my cheek and a thumb wiping some of my tears away. "Please don't cry Sookie. I know you're worried, but I believe everything is going to be alright." I looked at Eric's face and saw concern, but something else….love? No, it can't be love. That's crazy. I just met him tonight. But I can't deny that I do feel some connection to him.

"Thank you for staying and taking care of me Eric. I do feel better with you here." He smiled at me with his hand still on my cheek and I can't stop myself from nuzzling it a bit. His smile got bigger. "No problem Sookie. I should tell you that I called Pam and she's bringing Amelia and Jason to the hospital. Do they know about the baby?"

"No, I haven't told anyone except Bill. I guess I was still in shock about it." I hung my head, ashamed. I wasn't expecting what happened next.

Eric put a finger under my chin and lifted until I was looking in his eyes. "Don't do that Sookie. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Bill is the one who should be ashamed. I was shocked that he doesn't want the baby, but to be honest, I'm very glad that he doesn't."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll talk about this more later. We're at the hospital."

"I hate to ask this of you, but will you stay with me in here?"

"Of course I will. You didn't even have to ask." He gave me a reassuring smile as the doors opened and the EMTs got me out of the ambulance. When I looked, Eric was right with me, just like he said he would.

I was wheeled into a small cubicle and a doctor came over. When he was informed that I was pregnant he said I would need an ultrasound to check on the baby. Before I could be taken down for the ultrasound, he asked me a few questions and shined a little light in my eyes. He said I may have a mild concussion and he wanted to keep me overnight for observation. Eric had not left my side and I can't describe how good it felt to have him with me.

When they were ready to take me to get the ultrasound, I asked the nurse if Eric could go with me. She gave me a knowing smile and shook her head to indicate he could. We went down the hall to a small room where the ultrasound equipment was set up. The nurse asked me to put on a hospital gown and nothing else before the tech came in. Eric stepped outside while I did that, but he was back as soon as I was settled again. The tech came in and after shaking hands with me and Eric, he sat down and started getting things ready. He asked how far along I was and I told him 7 or 8 weeks.

"OK, you're pretty early on then. I will need to do an internal ultrasound."

"What do you mean an 'internal' ultrasound? I thought you just rubbed that thing on my belly."

"The baby is too low to be picked up that way." He then explained it to me. When he finished explaining, Eric asked me if I wanted him to step out of the room for this. I grabbed his hand like he was my only lifeline.

"No, please stay, but could you sit up here near my head?" I blush a little at him and he just grins and shakes his head. He slid the chair closer to my head so he could sit down and he never let my hand go the whole time.

We were watching a little TV screen as the tech did what he needed to do. We saw some images, but I couldn't make heads or tails out of it. I thought back to an early episode of 'Friends' when Joey and Chandler were looking at an ultrasound picture and Chandler said something like 'it looks like that blob is about to attack the Enterprise'. I smile a little at that thought. Then the tech points out this little thing that looks like a peanut and says that's the baby. I can feel tears welling up in my eyes as I see my baby. Then I squeezed Eric's hand without even realizing it when the tech shows us the little heart, just a beating. He hit a couple of buttons and the sound of the baby's heartbeat fills the little room. It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard in my life. The tears are falling now, and the tech said the best words I've ever heard. You'll want to check with your doctor, but it looks like the baby is fine. I looked over at Eric and his eyes look a little misty, but he has the biggest smile on his face and he squeezed my hand this time.

A nurse came in and said she was going to take me up to my room. Eric looked down at me as he stood. "Why don't I go find everyone and then we'll meet you in your room, OK?"

"Yeah, they're probably worried sick by now."

"How much do you want me to tell them Sookie?"

"All of it is OK with me. Then they can ask me questions when they come to the room, if you don't mind that is. You can just bring them up too and I'll fill them in. Whatever you're comfortable with Eric. You've done so much for me already." He shakes his head that he understands

"See ya in a few minutes OK." As he started to leave the room, I grabbed his hand again, stopping him. "Thank you so much Eric….for everything." He smiled, bent down, and kissed me lightly on the forehead. "My pleasure Sookie." He squeezed my hand a little before releasing it and heading out the door.

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Eric

As I followed the directions to the waiting room, my mind was racing. I was so relieved that the baby was OK. Sookie has been through enough already. She didn't need to face losing the baby on top of all that. I know how that feels all too well. I just really hope that she'll let me be a part of this. I feel so connected to her. I've never felt like this before. It scares the shit out of me, but I can't help wanting to be with her. Seeing that little baby and hearing that heartbeat….I don't care that the baby's not biologically mine. He or she could be mine in every other way that really counts. I freeze for a second. _'Did I just think that?'_ Then I can't help but smile because I know that I want Sookie and her baby too.

When I reach the waiting room, I'm almost tackled by Amelia with Jason and Pam not far behind her. "What's wrong with Sookie?!" Amelia's distraught and Pam is rubbing her back, trying to calm her down. "Let's go sit down guys." I think we need a little privacy for this.

We went over to a corner and sat down. I took a deep breath before I started my explanation. "First of all, Sookie is going to be fine. She fell down the stairs in her house and hit her head pretty hard at the bottom. She was unconscious until we were on the way here. She has a mild concussion and they want to keep her here overnight for observation."

Amelia was hugging Pam out of sheer joy, saying "She's OK!" over and over. Jason took a deep breath and said "Thank God."

"When can we see her?" Amelia asked, turning to me. When she looked at me, she could tell there was more and she got nervous. "What aren't you telling us Eric?" Jason's head shot up and he looked at me too. "I'll take you up in a minute, but there is more." Jason looked nervous now too and asked "What's wrong Eric; I thought you said she was OK."

"She is. Nothing's wrong, there's just some stuff you don't know yet." I took another deep breath then just came out with it. "Sookie's pregnant. She's about 8 weeks along." Everyone was stunned. Pam was the first to speak. "Is the baby OK Eric?" Amelia and Jason looked at me immediately. "Yes, the baby is fine too." Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Why didn't she tell us?" Jason asked, almost to himself. I put my hand on his shoulder and told him that she'd been in shock over it herself. He shook his head, letting me know he understood. I released his shoulder as Amelia spoke up.

"It has to be Bill's right?" I looked at her and confirmed it. "Yes, it's Bill's, but he wants nothing to do with the baby or Sookie." My anger was starting to show.

"How do you know that?" Jason was getting angry too. "He sent her a letter along with documents from his attorney that will relieve him of all rights and responsibilities with regards to the baby."

"Can he do that?" Amelia was turning red in the face she was so mad. "Yeah, he can. He even told her that he doesn't want to be listed on the birth certificate guys."

All three of them said "Son of a bitch!" in unison and I agreed with them.

Then Amelia looked at me and asked, "How do you know all this and we didn't Eric? Sookie just met you tonight right?" I smiled at her. "Yeah, we just met tonight. When we left your place, I walked her home. I did ask her to be my date Friday night and she accepted, just to let you know." Amelia and Pam both got big grins on their faces at that. "When we got to her house, I pointed out the envelope that had been delivered and her whole mood changed. I got the feeling she was afraid, so I asked to use her bathroom. I just didn't want her to be alone with whatever had made her so scared. When I came out, I heard a noise and it turned out to be her coming down the stairs."

I paused for a moment to shake that image from my mind, and then continued. "After I called 911, I noticed that she had dropped everything she had in her hands so I started picking the stuff up. When I picked up what looked like a letter, I noticed the word 'baby'. I wasn't trying to snoop or anything, but I'm glad I read it because I was able to let the EMTs know about her condition." Everyone shook their heads, showing that they understood.

"Sookie woke up in the ambulance and we talked a little. She confirmed she was pregnant. She also asked me to stay with her back there. That's what took me so long to get out here. I just couldn't leave her alone." Pam had a knowing look on her face as she looked at me.

Amelia came over and gave me a huge hug. "Thank you for being there for my sister Eric." I hugged her back and said "No problem." Jason came over and put his hand on my shoulder this time. "No man, you probably saved her life and the baby's too. We owe you big time."

"No you don't Jason. I'm glad I was there. It seems I really like your sister man." Jason shook his head in understanding. Then we all headed to the elevator to go up to Sookie. Jason had his arm around Amelia's shoulders and they were walking ahead of me and Pam.

"I can tell you really like her Eric, but are you sure you're OK with all of this?" Pam looked concerned.

"I'm fine with it Pam. Sookie is great and I'm drawn to her in a way I can't explain. Just because her baby isn't mine biologically doesn't mean he or she couldn't be mine in every way that counts." I was determined and Pam knew why.

"Just go slow with her Eric. I think the two of you would be great together – with the baby too. But she's been through a lot. I'm glad she trusts you as much as she does. I wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to trust a man again after Bill."

We caught up with Jason and Amelia and we all got on the elevator. When we got to Sookie's room, I knocked before we went in. Amelia and Jason each hugged her and took seats on the sofa in the room. Pam squeezed her hand and took the chair, leaving me to stand. I didn't mind, but Sookie slid over a little and motioned for me to sit next to her. She had the sweetest smile on her face, and I could tell that she needed some comfort to get through this. So I went over and sat down on the bed with one leg on the bed and the other on the floor. My arm went around her almost automatically and Sookie settled in beside me. God, this felt good and right.

Sookie started the conversation. "I guess Eric told you I'm gonna be fine." Everyone shook their heads. They were letting Sookie handle this the way she wanted. "He also told you about the baby, right?" Heads shaking again. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was in shock about it and I wanted to know as much as I could before I said anything. I was waiting on Bill's reaction so I could tell you everything at one time." Sookie hung her head a little, so I gave her a reassuring squeeze and I could feel her relax a little against me.

"Sookie, we'll all be here for you and the baby. You won't be doing this alone." Amelia said with tears in her eyes. Sookie thanked her as Jason stood and took her hand. "Amelia's right Sookie. And I don't want you to give that damn Bill Compton another thought. He never deserved you and he won't get anywhere near you or this baby again, right Eric?" I knew what he was getting at, but I wasn't sure what Sookie wanted to do.

"Well, if Sookie would like me to, I can handle the legal aspects of this, but that is something we will need to discuss." Sookie looked up at me and gave me a sleepy smile.

"Guys, I think we should continue this tomorrow. They gave me something for the pain and it's made me sleepy. They said it was safe with the baby and even though they'll be checking on me every couple of hours, they want me to try to rest." Everyone got up to leave, but when I tried to move, Sookie grabbed me and softly asked if I'd stay with her. She looked at me with those pleading eyes and I just couldn't say no to her. I'd wanted to stay anyway, but I didn't want to assume anything.

Amelia and Jason hugged her as they left and Jason looked over at me "Take good care of her man." I nodded that I would. Pam gave me a hug and said they'd bring me a change of clothes tomorrow. Then she hugged Sookie and told her the same thing. We both thanked them and they left.

Sookie looked at me with sad eyes this time and I asked her what was wrong. "I'm sorry I guilted you into staying here. I'm sure you have other things you'd rather be doing. I don't mind if you want…" I cut her off with one of my fingers on her lips. Man are they soft! "Hush Sookie, there's nowhere I would rather be…Honest. Now let me kick my shoes off and we'll both get a little sleep." She grinned and shook her head. I got my shoes off and I noticed that she had raised the covers for me to get in beside her. I oblige and once I'm comfortable, she snuggles up next to me. I put my arm around her again and she's asleep as soon as her head reaches my shoulder. I love having her in my arms. '_This is where she belongs'_ is the last thought I have before I drift off to sleep as well.

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A/N: So, what do you think? I figured it would devastate Sookie too much to lose the baby. She goes through so much in my story, I couldn't do that to her. I hope you liked it.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed and/or added my story to some favorites or alerts list. I greatly appreciate it and it really does make me want to keep on writing.

I am having a great time playing with these characters, but as always, they belong to Ms. Harris.

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Chapter 7:

Sookie

It was a long night. I find it amazing that you're always told to get some rest when you're in the hospital, but as soon as you get to your "restful" sleep, they're waking you up! What is that all about?

I was still shocked that Eric had agreed to stay with me. He almost seemed to want to, even before I asked him. He even let me snuggle up to him before going to sleep. I think he liked it as much as I did. What's going on with me?! I've been single for about a month or so and I'm pregnant with my ex's baby. How can I be having any feelings for Eric?

Granted, my ex doesn't want the baby, as he has made **very** clear. If we make that official, then I should have no ties to Bill whatsoever. That would actually be a great thing and it would make it easier for me to move on with someone else. _'Maybe Eric!'_ OK, I really need to stop thinking like that. I can tell my hopes are already going up about him and that is probably not a good thing.

I look up at him as he sleeps. I still can't believe he stayed with me. Why would he do that? I mean getting me here was one thing, but staying the night too, even holding me while I went to sleep? Yeah, he's asked me out on a date, but that doesn't mean we're dating or anything. I'm so confused! One thing I can't deny is how I feel when he's around. I'm definitely attracted to him (who wouldn't be!) but what I like most is how safe I feel around him. I never felt safe with Bill. He has this way of calming me down like no one else. I'm so afraid to admit this, but I even feel myself beginning to trust him. I really didn't think I'd be capable of that with another man after they way things went with Bill. I hope he won't mind taking things slowly, if he even wants to start anything now that he knows about the baby.

I drift back off to sleep, knowing the nurses will be back soon, just to wake me up again. Ugh!

Sure enough, about 30 minutes later, here comes a nurse. I'm so ready to go home so I can get some uninterrupted sleep! I notice that Eric is up and must be in the bathroom since I don't see him. I hope he didn't just leave!

I think back on last night and I've decided that I really don't want to build a wall around my heart and become bitter. I also want to see where this goes with Eric. As scared as I am to try this again, something is telling me that Eric is different. He didn't seem to freak out about the baby. I could tell that the ultrasound affected him almost as much as it did me. Hearing that little heartbeat has made this very real for me.

Eric came out of the bathroom and smiled when he saw I was awake. "Good morning beautiful! How are you feeling?" He moves a chair over next to the bed.

"Very tired. I wanna go home so I can actually get some rest! How bout you?" He let out a loud laugh and I smiled. "I'm a little tired myself, but good overall." He really does have the greatest smile!

"Eric, I want to thank you for staying with me last night. I really should've asked Amelia or Jason though."

"I told you last night Sookie, there's nowhere I would rather be. I'm glad you asked me. I think there are some things we should talk about though." He seemed a little nervous. I am too, but he's right. We definitely need to talk. "Ok, that's probably a good idea."

"Mind if I go first Sookie?"

"No, go ahead."

"Thank you." He takes my hand in his. "First of all, I want you to know that I really like you. That's why I asked you to go out with me Friday night." He took a deep breath before he continued. "I know things got a little crazy after that and we've had an unusual beginning to whatever happens between us. I would like to make my intentions very clear to you if you're OK with that."

Well, he is direct. I like that though. I hate playing games. "I think I would like that very much Eric, and I would like to be honest with you too. I really like you too. This scares me to death, but I feel myself beginning to trust you. This is way more than I thought would ever be possible for me after everything…." My turn for a deep breath.

"I don't know everything you have had to deal with, but what I do know is enough to make me want to cause harm to this 'Bill Compton'. My intentions are really pretty simple. I really like you and I'm hoping we can have something really special. I also want to be sure you understand that the baby doesn't bother me at all. I want to be around for both of you, all the time if you'll let me." He's smiling at me again.

I am floored. He doesn't mind that I'm pregnant with another man's baby? Wow! "Eric, you've kinda thrown me for a loop here. Are you sure you're OK with the baby and all?"

"Yes Sookie, I'm fine with all of it." He is looking into my eyes, and I can tell he means it. "OK, if you're positive, then I think I would like 'something special' with you. Do you mind if we take it slow though?" Yes, I'm still nervous about this.

"Taking things slow is also fine with me. Would you mind if we exchanged phone numbers though? I don't think I can wait till Friday to at least talk to you!"

I smile and nod at him. He programs my number into his phone, but mine was left at home, so I'll put his number into mine after he calls me. I have some more questions now.

"Can we change the subject Eric? I have some questions if you don't mind."

"Of course Sookie, what's on your mind?"

"The baby and Bill. I know you read his letter, but did you look at the documents from his attorney?"

He looks nervous. "Yes, I looked over them this morning – I hope you don't mind. I thought you might be wondering about them."

I smile at him. "No, I don't mind. I never understand all that legal mumbo jumbo y'all use. Can you tell me exactly what Bill is planning?"

"Well, his letter spells it out pretty plainly. He doesn't want the baby and he plans to sign away all of his parental rights and responsibilities before he or she is even born. He would have no visitation rights and could not be made to pay any child support. The child would also not bear his name." I'm a little confused on that and it must show. "He doesn't want to be listed as the father on the birth certificate." Eric clarifies for me.

"So I wouldn't have to deal with him ever again? Would he be able to change his mind about this in the future?

"No, if he goes through with this, it will be permanent. There are a few conditions I would add to these for your protection, as well as the baby's."

"Would you mind handling this for me, Eric, or do I need to go back to Mr. Cataliades?"

"It would be my pleasure Sookie. I would like to discuss this with him however. This is the first time I've seen anything like this. I've seen people give up their parental rights of course, but not before the child is even born. I would very much like his input."

"Thank you so much Eric! I really appreciate your help with all of this. Just let me know what I need to do."

"OK, how bout I pick up some food when I get off tomorrow and come by your place? We can talk about my meeting with Mr. Cataliades and you won't have to worry about fixing yourself anything for supper. You can just rest." He really does have the best smile I've ever seen.

"That sounds great; if you're sure you don't mind." I'm smiling too.

A nurse came in the room at that point with the doctor from last night. He must be working a long shift. "Well Ms. Stackhouse, everything looks good, so if you're ready I think we can get you outta here!"

"That's the best news I've had all day! The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned."

He laughed along with Eric. "I'm going to give you a prescription that should help with any pain or soreness you might feel over the next few days. Only take them if you need them, but they are safe while you're carrying the baby, so don't worry about that."

There was a knock at the door and Amelia came in with Pam, each of them carrying a duffel bag. Pam handed hers to Eric and he went to the bathroom to change and clean up a little. After Amelia told the doctor she was my sister and would be the one taking me home, he filled her in on everything he had just told me. Then he and the nurse turned to leave. She told me that she would have my discharge papers ready soon and to buzz when I was ready to go as she closed the door behind her.

Eric came out of the bathroom and looked great, as usual. He was wearing a pair of gray work out shorts and a black tank top. The man has muscles in places I didn't know you could have them. Oh boy! He shot me a smirk when he caught me checking him out. It turned into a chuckle when I blushed. He's hot and I'm single….sue me!

Amelia took charge, as she often likes to do. "OK, Pam and I were talking this morning and we have a plan. We want you to do nothing but rest for a couple of days Sookie. So I am going to take you home and get you settled while Pam goes to the store to pick up a few things. She can get your meds too. Eric, you can ride with me and I'll drop you off at your place, or you can go with Pam. Either way, you are more than welcome to drop by Sookie's later for supper. Pam's going to cook, so Sookie can just rest."

"Y'all don't have to do all this guys; I'm not an invalid you know."

"Sookie, for a couple of days you are – no arguments please!" I could tell by Amelia's expression that this was a no win situation for me. I looked at Eric and he just threw up his hands – he knows Amelia well too I guess. He spoke up then "I'll go with Pam and we'll meet you two later at Sookie's OK." Pam nodded at him and walked over to tell Amelia bye.

Eric came over to me and bent down. "I'll see you soon OK." I nodded as he bent a little more. I think he was aiming for my forehead, but I raised my face at the last moment, which caused him to catch my lips instead. It was very soft but tingles ricocheted all over my body. He looked very surprised for a moment, but then he kissed me on purpose and I let out a little moan as I kissed him back. He gave me one of his super smiles as he lightly stroked my cheek. "Very soon if I get my way. Get some rest OK Sookie."

"OK." I just smile back at him. We looked over at Amelia and Pam as he straightened back up and both of them looked like they were cats that had just eaten a canary. Then both of them said "AWWWW." I blushed some more but couldn't wipe the smile from my face if my life had depended on it. Eric just smiled bigger. Pam came over, grabbed Eric's hand and began dragging him out the door. "Come on big brother – see ya after while Sookie!" and they were gone.

Amelia was giggling, and then she said she had to know the deal with me and Eric. I told her to help get me ready and get me in the car and I would tell her everything. So within 25 minutes, I was being wheeled out of the hospital in a wheel chair to get in Amelia's car. They had given me a pain pill before I left the hospital since it was going to be a while before I got the prescription and I was very sore!

As soon as we started moving, Amelia started. "OK sis – spill!" I just laughed. "Where do you want me to start?"

"After we left y'all at the hospital. Eric pretty much filled us in on everything before the hospital."

"So you know he asked me on a date?"

"Yes, and we know you agreed to go too – very good Sookie!"

"Well, I felt bad for freaking out and asking him to stay, so I told him he didn't need to. He told me that 'there was nowhere he'd rather be.' I blushed, but I was glad he decided to stay. We fell asleep after that."

"Well, have y'all talked about anything yet? Cause I have to say that I was pretty surprised at how cozy y'all were last night, and this morning too. I mean he told Jason that he really likes you."

I smiled. "He told me the same thing this morning – yes, we talked for a while this morning before the doc came in. We both admitted that we really like each other; we agreed to take things slowly; I told him that it scares me that I seem to trust him; he wants this to become 'something special'; and he wants to be there for me and the baby both!" I still can't believe he doesn't have a problem with the baby. "Oh, he is also going to handle all this legal stuff with Bill over the baby too. In fact, he's bringing supper over tomorrow so he can fill me in on his meeting with about all of this. He wants his advice I think."

"Well, none of this surprises me Sookie. He as much as told us that he was going to handle Bill last night. Pam and I just knew you two would hit it off! He's been through some stuff too Sookie. Him not being bothered by the baby doesn't surprise me at all really." Amelia looked lost in her thoughts.

"What do you mean Amelia?"

"That's for him to tell you when he's ready Sweetie, not me. You're my sister, but he's my friend too. Most of the time I can tell you anything, but not this time." I understood and didn't push her.

"OK, going back to Bill a sec, what did Eric say about all that?"

"Well, basically the baby and I will be free of him. Actually, the more I think about it, the happier I am that he doesn't want to have anything to do with us. Eric did say that there were some things he wanted to add to the documents for our safety, or protection, or something like that. I guess I'll know more about that tomorrow night." I shrugged my shoulders then let out a big yawn. Thankfully, we were in my driveway by this point.

"Do you want a shower Sweetie, or would you rather take a little nap first?"

"As much as I hate to say it, I think a shower's gonna have to wait a bit. Those meds must make me sleepy."

"No problem. You want your bed, or would you rather crash on the couch?"

"I don't think I'm ready to tackle those stairs yet." I shuddered at the thought. "Then the couch it is." Amelia smiled and I knew she understood. I got comfy on the couch as Amelia covered me up with a quilt our Gran had made for me. I slipped off to sleep as I thought back to the kiss Eric and I shared before he left the hospital.

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(Eric)

Pam took me by my place so I could shower before we headed to the store. Once we got back in her car, she started. "What's going on with you and Sookie? You two looked pretty cozy last night, and this morning."

I took a deep breath before I answered her. "Well, nothing 'happened' Pam. We have agreed to take things slowly; we admitted that we really like each other; I made sure she knows I don't have a problem with the baby; and I'll be handling the legal issues with this Bill character. She also admitted that though she's scared, she does trust me more than she thought she'd be able to, so that's a good thing right?"

Pam had a big grin on her face. "Yes, I'd say that's a good thing big brother. I also think taking things slowly with her is a good idea. That's what she needs right now. I admit that I was surprised when she asked you to stay with her last night."

"She told me I didn't have to after you guys left. I think it was scaring her that she trusted me enough to ask me in the first place. I assured her there was nowhere I would rather be."

"Well, I can tell you're happy Eric. One piece of advice though. I think you should tell her what you've been through. You know an awful lot about her, but she knows very little about you. I think it would help her if you showed how much you trust her as well. If that's something you're ready for."

"That makes sense Pam. I do think I'm ready. Thanks!"

We had gotten everything on Pam's list and Sookie's meds by this time. When we got to her place, we found Amelia watching TV quietly and Sookie was asleep on the couch. Amelia and Pam took everything to the kitchen. I bent down and kissed Sookie lightly on the forehead. She sighed a little and whispered "Eric…." She had the sweetest smile on her face when she said my name. She never opened her eyes, so I don't think she knew it was me. Maybe she was dreaming. My smile just got bigger with that thought and I settled down in the chair Amelia had just vacated. I figured I'd watch a little TV. I was asleep before I knew it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

(Sookie)

I woke up starving. I have no idea how long I was out, but after I take care of certain pressing needs, I have to find some food! Once I finished in the bathroom, I follow voices to the kitchen. Amelia, Pam, and Eric are all sitting around the table. When they notice me, they immediately start asking how I'm feeling, can they get me anything, etc. All I can say is FOOD! They all laugh and Pam starts pulling out some snacks. She says that supper will be in a couple of hours. I sit down beside Eric and he plants a sweet kiss on my cheek. I get the feeling I had a dream about him while I was sleeping, but I can't remember it now. Amelia asks me if I want some of my pain killers and I decline for now. They knock me out too much. I do enjoy the snacks that Pam brought out though.

I decided to go clean myself up before supper. Amelia had gotten up to go help Pam with something, so I leaned over to Eric. "Would you mind helping me get upstairs? I'm nervous about those stairs for some reason." I felt like an idiot. They're just stairs for crying out loud.

He gave me an understanding smile and said "Sure, no problem."

As we walked to the stairs, he asked me if I was really feeling OK and I told him I was. I asked him if he was tired from the interrupted sleep last night and he chuckled when he told me he'd caught a nap in my chair while I was napping, so he was good. When we got to the stairs he asked me how I wanted to handle it. I must of looked confused because then he swept me up into his arms and carried me up Rhett Butler style.

"Eric, I can walk you know!" I won't deny that being in his arms felt great though!

"I know you can, but this was as good an excuse as any to get you in my arms." He had a sly smirk on his face. When we got to the top, I pointed to my bedroom and he set me down in the doorway. "You want me to wait till you're ready to go back down?"

"That's OK; I think I can manage on my own." I was tingling again as we stood so close together.

"OK, be careful coming down. I don't want you falling again!" He was smiling at me and I could tell he was starting to bend his face down closer to mine. The butterflies in my stomach were quickly becoming frantic. He put his finger under my chin and tilted my face up a little more so he could meet my lips with his. The kiss was soft and amazing. He reluctantly pulled back and told me to be quick before he turned to go back downstairs.

My shower felt great, but I wanted to get back downstairs with Eric, so I hurried. I held on to the railing as I made my way back downstairs. I didn't see anyone in the living room, so I figured they were in the kitchen still. When I got to the door, I overheard them talking. "I think you should tell her too Eric. She is just so surprised that you are OK with it and was asking me about it. I told her it was your place to tell her and she didn't push it. She'll understand. You couldn't have changed what happened, it wasn't your fault, and you know that. It's time to let the guilt go Eric." That was Amelia.

"You're right, and you sound just like Pam sometimes you know." Eric sounds kinda sad.

"Well, great minds do think alike Eric." Pam made them both laugh at that. "So, do you still want us to stay?"

"That's up to you. I do need to talk to her soon I guess." Eric again.

"Well, we've been gone all day and we do need to get ready for the work week. Plus, if we leave, Sookie will have enough leftovers to make lunch with tomorrow. I'm glad I decided to go ahead and fix supper." Pam is always thinking ahead.

"Tell her I'll check in on her tomorrow OK Eric." Amelia sounded like she was heading to the back door.

"Will do, thanks for everything guys."

The last thing I heard before the door shut was "No problem!" in unison.

I waited a few moments before I entered the kitchen. I didn't want him to know I'd been listening. When I walked in, he was sitting at the table, looking like he was deep in thought. "Eric, are you OK?"

I must have startled him. "Oh, Sookie, you surprised me."

"I didn't mean to scare you." I giggle a little and he smiles at me. "Where are Amelia and Pam?"

"Oh, they had to leave. Busy work week and all to get ready for. Amelia said she's going to check in on you tomorrow. Pam fixed enough supper for tonight and for you to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I am actually. Are you staying for a while, or do you need to head out too?" I was really hoping he would stay for a while anyway.

"I was hoping it would be OK with you if I stayed for a while. I'd like to talk to you some more if that's alright."

"OK, that sounds good. Let's fix our plates and go to the living room. It's more comfortable for me right now. I have some tray tables we can use. Does that sound alright?"

"Sounds perfect."

We fix our plates and head to the living room with drinks in hand as well. Eric puts his things down and sets up 2 tray tables for us. We eat in silence for a few minutes until I have to ask, "What did you want to talk to me about Eric? Is everything alright? Nothing's changed since this morning has it?" I'm a little worried about that actually. Maybe he's changed his mind about us. I know that's not what I thought the conversation was going to be about, based on what I overheard, but it still worries me a little.

"NO, nothing has changed since our talk this morning. I wanted to tell you more about me actually. I know you were surprised that I was OK with the baby and all, so I thought I'd explain everything. The only people I've ever talked about this with are Pam and Amelia, and even they don't know all of it." He took a deep breath. I could tell he was nervous, but he was also very sad.

"It's OK Eric, you can tell me anything. I can tell this is something painful for you, so take as long as you need." I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile.

"Thanks Sookie. It is painful, but I want to share it with you. I do trust you with it. I've carried a lot of guilt around about this. Pam and Amelia have told me that I need to let it go, but I'm not sure if I can." He takes another deep breath before he continues. "A few years ago, I was involved with a woman, Sophie. We were quite serious. I thought everything was great, but then we got some surprising news. She found out she was pregnant and she was so upset. I had been thinking about asking her to marry me anyway, so I planned a really romantic night and popped the question. I thought us not being married was why she was so upset about being pregnant. Turns out I was wrong."

He paused and took a big swallow from his water. I did the same. Then he continued with his tale. "I was really very excited about the baby. I've always wanted to be a father one day, and I was on cloud 9 about it. When I popped the question, she just looked at me like I was crazy. She proceeded to tell me that she didn't want to get married. She wanted to travel and see the world. She didn't want to settle down. I didn't get it. She dropped the bomb on me then. She told me she didn't want the baby. I couldn't believe it. So I told her that I would take sole custody if that's what she wanted and she wouldn't have to worry about it once she delivered. I told her that I would handle all the expenses during the pregnancy too. I just wanted the baby."

There were tears in his eyes now and I thought I knew what was coming but I truly hoped I was wrong. "She told me that she had already decided to have an abortion. I broke down and begged her not to do that. I told her that I would take care of the baby and not bother her at all, ever. She told me that she didn't want her body permanently changed by having a baby. I even told her that I would pay for whatever she wanted done after the baby was born to get her body back to the way it was, but she just shook her head. I tried so hard to convince her, but then she looked at me with the coldest look I have ever seen in my life on her face. She said she knew I would be like that and that she had already gotten the abortion so that I couldn't talk her out of it. I'd already lost my baby before I could even try to do anything about it."

He was crying now. I pushed both tray tables away from us and pulled him to me. He laid his head on my shoulder and just cried. I cried with him. I rocked side to side as I held him. I stroked his hair as I rocked. I couldn't believe someone could be so cruel. After a few minutes, I felt him composing himself. He looked up at me and I wiped the tears from his face.

"That's the first time I've shared that, with anyone. I'm glad it was with you Sookie. I do feel a little better. Amelia and Pam don't even know all the details. I just couldn't tell them the horrible truth. I just told them that she'd lost the baby and we broke up afterwards. I think they knew there was more to it, but they never pushed me."

"I'm glad you told me Eric. It's not good to keep something like that bottled up inside. I'm surprised you've been able to for so long."

"Thank you for just holding me Sookie. No one has ever done that for me. I didn't even know how much I needed it until you did it. It helped sooth me like nothing ever has. Do you think I should feel guilty about this? I've tried not to, but I can't help it. I want to move on with my life, but I feel guilty, like I'm just forgetting about that baby." He looked so torn up about this.

He was looking down. I lifted his chin until he was looking in my eyes. "No Eric, I do think you should start trying to let the guilt go. I can understand what you're feeling. You're feeling guilty because you couldn't save your baby. But ending his or her life was not your decision. You didn't know what Sophie was going to do until it was too late. Moving on with your life and finding happiness is what that little baby would've wanted for his or her daddy. Eric, I hope you will let me help you through this and find the happiness you deserve." I had tears in my eyes when I finished. It hurt me to see him in so much pain. "And you're more than welcome for any comfort I can give you. I didn't know how to make the hurt go away, so I just did the only thing I could think of. I know it didn't take it away, but I'm very glad that it helped."

"That's why I reacted the way I did last night Sookie. I know we'd just met, but when I discovered you were pregnant, it felt like that all over again. You have no idea what it meant to me when you allowed me to be in that ultrasound room with you. When I heard that little heartbeat, I knew I wanted to be a part of this baby's life. Even if all we become is good friends, I can handle that." He had put one of his large hands on my belly. "But, honestly I hope we'll end up as more than that. I knew I liked you before I knew about the baby. This is also why I'm glad you asked me to handle the situation with Bill. It's one way I can help take care of you and the baby."

His reaction to the baby really made sense to me now. Maybe we could help him heal and he could help me heal from what Bill did to me. I should share that with him, but not tonight. I think his revelations are enough for one night. We finished our meal, talking about things we each like and dislike. It was so easy talking to him. I knew it was getting late, so after he insisted on helping me clean up the kitchen; we were walking to the door. A part of me really didn't want him to leave, but I was not about to let that part win tonight. He needed a good night's rest before work tomorrow. Besides, I would see him tomorrow night, so we could discuss the Bill issue.

When we got to the door, he turned to me and as I looked up into his beautiful eyes he said "I really enjoyed tonight Sookie. Thank you again for listening and helping me. I will call you tomorrow OK."

"You're welcome Eric. I really appreciate everything you've done for me and the baby." Before I could say anything else, his lips crashed into mine. The kiss started out more intense than the others, but then it softened. As he started to pull back, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to me. I kissed him and he responded. Then I felt his tongue seeking entrance to my mouth and I moaned a little as my lips parted. Our tongues dueled a little, and he let out a moan as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. The kiss deepened and lasted a few more moments. Then we both started to end the kiss and pulled away a little, but not completely. He rested his forehead against mine as we tried to calm our breathing.

I was the first to speak, and all I could say was "Good night Eric" as a smile spread across my face.

He smiled back at me, kissed me on my nose, and said "Sweet dreams Sookie."

We gave each other a squeeze then he headed home. I made sure to lock up and as I was heading upstairs to bed, I knew my dreams will be very sweet indeed.

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A/N: OK, I hope everyone likes this. I was a little nervous about writing my Eric's past for some reason. I was nervous about writing their kiss at the end too, so I hope it was OK.

I am so very thankful for all the reviews, pms, and alerts from everyone. I want to especially thank APearle and txone for their help and advice. If you haven't read any of their stories, you should because they are great!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This is such an awesome experience! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, sent a pm, and/or added me/the story to an alert. My nervousness is starting to go away now, which makes this even better!!**

**As always, I don't own the characters, they are Ms. Harris's, but I am having a blast playing with them!**

**________________________________________________________________________**

Chapter 9:

(Sookie)

Well, my day was very uneventful. I spent most of it on the couch resting like I promised Amelia (twice!), Jason, Pam, and even Eric. They had all called at some point during the day to check on me, which I appreciated even though I was sick of the couch. I'm getting out of here some tomorrow!

When my phone rang around a quarter to 5, I was surprised it was Eric again. He asked what I was in the mood to eat for supper and I really didn't know. He laughed when I said the cravings must not have kicked in yet. His laugh is so great and I could imagine the smile on his face. So I ended up telling him that I'm usually not too picky and to surprise me. He said OK and that he'd see me around 6:30 or so. I started getting those butterflies in my stomach again as I thought about seeing him so soon. I was very excited, so I decided to get in the shower and clean myself up a little.

When I finished in the shower I was completely worn out. So I figured dressing for comfort would be understandable in this situation. I pulled out a pair of yoga pants that are very comfortable and a t-shirt. I'd only taken one pain pill this morning, and I didn't think I would need anymore. That was a good thing because those things knock me out! I wanted to enjoy my time with Eric.

By the time I made it back down to the couch, it was already 6:15. My clean up session had taken longer than I thought it would. I tried to relax a little before Eric arrived. About 10 minutes later my phone rang and it was Eric telling me he was almost here. He also asked if I needed him to pick up anything for me. I told him I was fine. After we hung up I went to the door so I could see if he needed any help with anything. He pulled into my driveway not 2 minutes later. He was driving a shiny, red corvette, Wow!

I opened the door as he approached with his arms full. His face lit up when he saw me standing there and my stomach did a flip. "Let me help you with some of that Eric!"

"I got it Sookie, but thanks!" He came in and put everything down in the kitchen. He brought his brief case back out and laid it on the floor, leaning against the couch. Then he turned to me, wrapped his arms around me and bent to kiss me. "Hey beautiful, how has your day been?"

My arms were around his waist. It felt so good to be in his arms again. I smiled up at him "A little lonely actually. I'm glad you're here."

"Are you hungry?"

"YES, what did you bring?"

He chuckled at my response and led me into the kitchen. "I brought Italian, I hope that's OK. Amelia said you like Italian."

"I love Italian!"

"Good, I wasn't sure which you'd want, so I brought you lasagna and chicken parmesan. I figured you could eat leftovers later."

"Oh Eric, you chose my favorites! I might just have a little of each now and save the rest for later. Thank you so much. What are you eating?"

"I like chicken parmesan too, so I got that. We also have salads and I couldn't remember if you had any here or not, so I got a half-gallon of sweet tea." He looked so proud of himself. It was so cute.

"I'm actually out of tea, so thank you for that too. You're spoiling me you know." I leaned into him again, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Good, then my plan is working." He kissed me on the nose before pulling back.

"And what plan is that?" I went to the cabinet and pulled out 2 plates and glasses. I also got utensils for us.

"To spoil you rotten, just like you deserve, of course." He winked at me as he fixed his plate and went to the table. He had already moved the salads and glasses along with the tea to the table.

"I don't need to be spoiled Eric. I just want to spend time with you. That's much more important to me than being spoiled." I fixed my plate and joined him at the table.

"I know Sookie, I was just kidding around. I do enjoy spoiling you, so I will continue to do so. Spending time with you is more important to me as well though."

"Thank you. Just don't go too overboard with the 'spoiling'."

We ate in silence for a few minutes. The food was so good! I decided to find out what happened with his meeting today. "So, how did your meeting with Mr. Cataliades go?"

"Very well. He said he had no problems advising me when I needed it, but that it should be cut and dry. I'll show you the documents we drew up and sent over to Victor Madden's office. All we did was add a clause or 2. He had specified that you would not contact Mr. Compton at all, so we felt it needed to be added that he would not contact you either. I don't want him thinking he can contact you in anyway once he signs these papers."

"That sounds good to me. The less I have to be around him the better."

"Sookie, can I ask you something?" He seemed really nervous.

"Sure, anything."

"OK, what happened with you and Compton?" My face must have shown my surprise at his question because he quickly added "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

I had already decided that I wanted to share all of it with Eric. "No, I'll tell you, but let's clean up and go to the living room where we can be more comfortable." He smiled and nodded his head at me. Once we were settled on the couch, I began my tale.

"Well, in the beginning, things were great. I had never been with a man before Bill, so I was really naïve. I thought we were happy, in love, but after we got married I began to see a different side of Bill. He slowly cut everyone I loved out of my life. I couldn't see what was happening. He wanted to control me completely. I couldn't even go to Amelia's without him getting angry. He was very verbally abusive and he had me convinced that I was pretty worthless and no one else would ever love me. I think that fear is the one thing that kept me with him as long as I was." I took a deep breath and could see the anger in Eric's face.

"Then one night I had been in the basement doing some cleaning. Bill thought I had gone to Amelia's again because I had mentioned that I really wanted to. But I chickened out in the end because I didn't want him angry at me again. I knew he was home because I had heard him walking around upstairs. When I finished what I was doing I went upstairs. I walked into our bedroom and found him in bed with a woman he works with. She saw me come in and just smiled at me. It was an evil smile. Bill turned to see what she was looking at and he saw me. He flew at me and had me against the wall. Then the woman, Lorena, suggested that I join them. I flatly refused and tried to leave the room, but Bill liked the idea too much. He picked me up and slung me on the bed. Lorena pulled up handcuffs that I didn't know were there and cuffed my wrists. It was then that I realized he had planned it. He was always trying to convince me to do something like that, but I always said no. I cried the whole time." I was crying as I shared my horror with Eric. I couldn't give any more details, they were too horrible. Eric had me in his lap and was holding me.

But, I wasn't quite through. "Eric, I need to tell you the rest, and then you may change your mind about me. Even after everything that he had done to me, I was still weak one day when he came by our house to get the last of his things. I had been packing up photo albums and remembering how happy I was in the beginning with him. It's like he had brainwashed me Eric. I was so miserable and alone that when he kissed me, I am ashamed to say I responded. I immediately regretted what I had let happen, but I couldn't take it back. He agreed it was a big mistake but it did remind him how bad I was in bed and he was glad he wouldn't have to put up with me anymore." I was sobbing into Eric's chest now, and I was so ashamed. Eric continued holding me and stroking my hair.

I finally worked up the courage to look at Eric. "Eric, I understand if you've changed your mind about us. Bill was probably right about me anyway." I hung my head, full of shame. When I tried to get up, Eric's armed tightened around me.

I felt a finger under my chin, lifting my face up. When I saw his blue eyes, I started crying again. I know it was right for me to tell him everything, but I just knew I'd lost any chance I may have had with him. "Sookie, look at me." His voice was gentle as he spoke.

I looked at him and he continued. "I haven't changed my mind about anything Sookie. Yes, you went through something horrible and I wish I could take it away, but it only makes me like you more. Even with all that you've been through, you're still an amazing woman. You've allowed yourself to trust me, which I know now was not easy for you at all. You're only human Sookie, and we're all weak at times. I certainly don't hold that against you." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I think you're right that he had brainwashed you to a degree. Women who are with abusive men all deal with that to one degree or another. I so glad you are one of the ones who escaped. How did you do that Sookie?" He was stroking my cheek, wiping my tears away.

"Jason and Amelia. The morning after that horrible night, I left after Bill went to work. I called Amelia and she called in sick when she heard how upset I was. I had taken a cab to her place. I couldn't tell her everything because I was so ashamed. I just told her that he cheated on me. She asked me what I wanted to do and I told her I didn't want to go home. She called Jason and he came over when he got off work. She also called Mr. Cataliades and he agreed to represent me. Bill showed up at her place right before Jason got there. He was angry that I wasn't answering my phone, which I had shut off. He was also angry that Amelia wouldn't open the door. He was yelling about the things he would do to me once I got home. We heard Jason telling him he wasn't going to do anything to me ever again. Amelia opened the door then and we saw Bill hit Jason. Bill is no match for Jason though. Jason didn't hit him, however, which shocked us. Jason could've wiped the floor with him, but for once he used his head."

I took another deep breath. "Jason told Bill that there was only one way he would not press assault charges. Bill laughed until Amelia pointed out the security cameras she and Pam had installed, which picked up the whole thing. Not only did we have evidence of him assaulting Jason, but we also had all his threats against me. Jason told him he had to let me go. At first Bill said he would never agree to a divorce, but when Jason reminded him of the penalties he could face, he agreed. Bill always looked out for himself first. Jason took a couple of days off work and helped me get my things from the house while Bill was at work. I stayed with him until I got this place. Bill never knew where Jason lives because we always met at Amelia's."

Eric was still holding me. I tightened my arms around him. I never wanted him to let me go. "It's OK Sookie, I've got you." His voice was so soothing to me.

"It had been months since I'd seen Bill. That last day, I decided to go make sure there was nothing else of mine at the house before it was sold. I thought Bill would be working, but he showed up about an hour later. He was the way he had been when we first got together and I was so weak. At the time I hated myself for not being stronger, but I wouldn't be having this baby if I had, so I guess things happen for a reason. Even though this child was not conceived in love, I will make sure he or she knows how much I love him or her."

"Of course you will Sookie. It's not the child's fault who their father is. Anyway, Bill has made it clear he doesn't want to be a father. So while Bill may be the biological father, this child won't ever have to deal with him, I'll make sure of that."

I snuggled closer to Eric. "Thank you Eric, I know you will." We sat quietly for a while, just holding each other. I had to break the perfect silence though. "Eric, what do we do now? I mean do I have to face him in court or anything?"

"I don't believe so. I think this is just a matter of Madden and I coming up with a document that you and Bill both agree to and sign. Then we will get it filed with the court. But, if we do end up actually going to court, don't worry – I'll be with you." He smiled at me as he stroked my cheek.

I decided that tonight was my night for honesty, so I wanted to let everything out and see what happened. "Eric, I don't understand it, but I feel things for you that I've never felt before. I didn't think this would ever be possible for me. Bill convinced me…"

Eric put his finger over my lips to stop my talking. "Sookie, Bill was so very wrong about you. You are amazing and more than worthy of everything good this world has to offer. I feel things for you too. I've cut myself off from feeling something like this for so long. I couldn't let myself be put in the situation I had been in with Sophie. But, you have broken through every wall I've put up. It really scares me, but I want you in my life. I…"

This time, I stopped him with a kiss. He tightened his arms around me as he responded to me. I moaned into his mouth when I felt his tongue searching for entrance and I was more than willing to allow it. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but I was quickly losing my ability to think rational thought. Our tongues explored each other's mouths and it was heaven. Then I felt his hands slip under my shirt as he moved to my neck, kissing and nipping his way to that sensitive area behind my ear. I slipped my hands under his shirt and rubbed over the wonderful muscles of his back.

Before I knew it, Eric had wrapped my legs around his waist and was positioned over me as he laid me back on the couch. I saw such want in his eyes and I was sure I looked the same. I felt a growing bulge in his pants press against my thigh. He softly growled my name as I began kissing his neck. I couldn't stop another moan escaping my mouth as he moved his hands under my shirt again, making his way to my breasts. I knew we were quickly reaching the point of no return and I didn't know what I wanted to do. Yes, I wanted to take things slowly with him, but in that moment I wanted him inside me more than I have ever wanted anything in my life. Luckily, I was saved by the bell so to speak.

My phone starting ringing and I heard Eric growl "Fuck!" I smiled at him as I tried to calm my breathing.

"I should probably get that." He nodded and got off of me. I grabbed the phone as I sat up. After I glanced at the id, I chuckled. "Hey Amelia." Eric just smiled and shook his head. He got up and headed for the kitchen.

I talked with Amelia for a few minutes. After assuring her I was fine several times, I told her I had company and needed to go. "Oh, would this company be tall, blond, and gorgeous?" I know I blushed, so I was glad she couldn't see me. I told her I would talk to her tomorrow and hung up to her laughter. I got up and went to the kitchen to find Eric.

He was leaning against the counter with a glass of tea in his hand. He smiled when he saw me come in. "Everything OK with Amelia?"

"Yes, she was just checking up on me."

"Sookie, I'm sorry I got so carried away before. I know we agreed to take things slowly."

"Eric, in case you didn't notice, I wasn't exactly complaining!"

"Yeah, believe me, I noticed. You just do things to me that I can't explain. I find myself wanting you so much." He looked down.

I walked closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He put his glass down and put his arms around me too. "Eric, I want you too, more than you can possibly imagine. I am glad Amelia called when she did though. We've shared A LOT with each other the past couple of days. I feel like we've been on a roller coaster so to speak. I still want to take things slowly, but I'm definitely not sorry about what we seem to be doing to each other."

"What do you mean Sookie?" He was smiling down at me as he asked that.

"Well, I know this might sound corny, but I can't help it. It feels like we are healing each other in ways no one else can. I feel so much better when you're around me. I want to see where this takes us more than anything." I blushed again.

He bent down, kissed me on the nose, and said "I feel the same way Sookie. We'll take things as slow as you want to OK."

We went back to the living room and Eric glanced at the clock. "As much as I hate to say this, it's getting late Sookie. I should probably be going." He looked a little sad.

"I don't really want you to go, but I guess you're right."

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" He asked as he picked up his briefcase.

"Well, I have a pretty serious case of cabin fever, so I was thinking that I might go out and do a little shopping. Maybe grab some lunch while I'm out."

"That sounds good, but please be careful OK." He had placed his hand on my belly.

"I will." We walked out to his car and he put his briefcase in the passenger seat. He turned to me and pulled me to him as he leaned back on the car.

He nuzzled against my neck as he said "I don't really want to go either you know."

I squeezed his waist and said "Maybe you won't need to soon." He gave me a huge grin and bent to kiss me again. This time, he moaned into my mouth as my tongue made its way through his parted lips. We grazed each others tongues for a short time then pulled away.

"I'll call you tomorrow. Can we see each other again when I get off?"

"I would like that a lot."

"OK, you go on in and lock up." He kissed me lightly once more before going around to the driver's side.

"Good night Sookie."

"Sweet dreams Eric." I giggled as he waggled his eyebrows at me. I went in the house and locked the door as I watched him pull out of the driveway.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I wanted to clarify something before I get into the next chapter. I know very little about "real life" family law. This story is complete fiction. I was just looking for a way I could make Bill out to be a complete a**. I figured what I came up with was a pretty crappy thing for him to do. I'm writing this for fun and honestly not researching all the info I would need to make it accurate. I hope everyone is OK with that. :o)**

**Now, on with the story….just remember, I own none of these characters! They are all Ms. C. Harris's.**

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Chapter 10:

The rest of the week went by pretty quickly. I saw Eric practically every night. Wednesday was the only exception because he had to work late on a case. He did call me when he got home though, which I liked.

We are getting closer everyday it seems. I can tell that I'm really starting to fall for him. It scares me, but I like it too. I don't think I'll be able to work up the nerve to tell him anytime soon. (At least not being the one who says it first.)

It's Friday now and my date with Eric is tonight! We are going to Pam's restaurant for her debut as head chef. I did a little shopping earlier in the week and got a new dress for tonight. I know we've spent a lot of time together already, but this is our first time going out together and I'm really excited! I have about 2 hours before he arrives, so I need to get my butt in gear.

I have about 15 minutes to spare when I come downstairs. I love my new dress. I just hope Eric does too. I've been replacing most of my wardrobe a little at a time. I can't stand wearing anything from the time I was with Bill. It brings back too many bad memories. That's why I made absolutely sure to have something new tonight. I know I'll have to get maternity clothes before long, so I haven't gone on any crazy shopping sprees or anything.

After getting lost in my thoughts, I realize that Eric should be here any minute. I'm excited about telling him my news tonight. I hope he's happy for me. I go back to check myself in the mirror. Then I hear the doorbell. I grab my purse on the way to get the door.

When I open the door, Eric is standing there, looking as handsome as I have ever seen him. He is also holding a single pink rose, which he hands to me as he smiles and leans in to kiss me on my cheek. "You look beautiful Sookie."

"Thank you Eric, and thank you for the flower. I love it. Let me put it in a vase before we leave OK." I head back to the kitchen and pull out a small vase and put the flower in after adding a little water. I go back through the house and find Eric waiting on me.

"You ready Sookie?"

I go over to him, put my arms around his neck and pull him down for a kiss. After a few moments we pull back and I say "I am now." A big smile spread across my face as I see the grin on his.

He takes my arm in his and leads me out to his car. He even holds the door for me to get in. I've never had anyone be such a gentleman with me before. I could get used to this. Once he gets in, we're off for what I hope will be a night of fun. He talks about his day on the way to the restaurant. Before I know it, we are waiting to be taken to our seats.

Once we are seated and place our orders, I'm ready to fill Eric in on my news. "Eric, I got some great news today. You know I've been getting a little bored hanging around the house and all?"

"Yes, you have mentioned that once or twice." He chuckles.

"Well, I had an interview for a job today and I was offered the position!"

"That's great Sookie! What's the job?"

"It's in a book store. It's a small, family run business and they were looking for someone to fill in part time so they could have a little time off together. They also promised me I wouldn't have to do any lifting with my condition." I know I'm just beaming.

Eric takes my hand and kisses it. "It sounds perfect for you. I'm glad it's only part time."

"Yeah, I didn't really want anything full time right now if I could help it. When I heard about this, I thought it would be great!"

We enjoyed each other's company the rest of the meal, which was terrific! Pam is a truly magnificent chef. We asked to speak to her before we left, so she came out. We thanked her for a great meal and she was so happy we had come. I excused myself to use the restroom before we left. As I was washing my hands and thinking about Eric, I heard a voice I'd hoped to never hear again.

"Well, hello Sookie. It's been a while. Have you missed me?" I looked up at the mirror and saw Lorena standing behind me with an evil grin on her face. I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest it was beating so hard.

"Lorena. If you'll excuse me, I'll be going."

I couldn't help but notice that she was following me out of the restroom. I wanted to get to Eric so badly it hurt. I saw him standing at the door waiting on me. When I got to him he knew something was wrong. "Let's go NOW Eric."

"What's wrong Sookie?"

I didn't get a chance to answer him. "Well, well, well. Aren't you going to introduce me Sookie?" I know I had to look green by now because I felt so sick. I couldn't say anything.

"Well, looks like Sookie is going to be rude tonight." She turned to Eric, "I'm Lorena. I used to be a _close_ friend of Sookie's." She still had that evil grin. I felt Eric stiffen.

"Lorena, I'm Eric. I'm Sookie's boyfriend." He put his arm tightly around me and I felt myself smile. He said he's my _boyfriend_! I relaxed next to him a little.

Lorena looked surprised for a second, but then a huge grin spread across her face. "Well, this is _news_ Sookie. I can't wait to share your good news." That meant she couldn't wait to tell Bill. Well, he is getting out of my life for good, so who cares what he knows.

As she turned to leave, I saw Amelia and Jason coming in. They approached us as Lorena turned back. "Eric, it was nice meeting you. I should warn you that little Sookie here isn't very adventurous or creative when it comes to the bedroom." She flashed her evil grin and walked away. I couldn't hold it in anymore and ran to the restroom where I completely lost my wonderful dinner.

Amelia was waiting on me when I came out of the stall. "You OK Sook?" She handed me a damp paper towel and I wiped my mouth. I went to the sink and cupped a little water in my hands to rinse out my mouth before I answered her.

"Yeah, I guess." I rinsed out my mouth and reached into my purse for a breath mint.

"Who was the bitch?"

"I'll fill you in later Amelia. I just want to get out of here right now." She nodded that she understood.

We walked back out to Eric and Jason. Eric took me into his arms. Jason looked like he wanted to say something, but I saw Amelia shake her head at him. "We'll talk later OK Jason." I said, silently begging him to let it go for now. I knew neither he nor Amelia was going to forget about it though.

"We'll call you guys tomorrow. Enjoy your meal, Pam's really outdone herself. I'm going to take Sookie home." Eric said as we turned to leave. Amelia and Jason both just nodded and said they'd talk to us later.

I didn't talk at all as we went to my house. I didn't know what to say. Eric just held my hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. When we got there, Eric didn't even ask if he could come in. He just followed me in and locked the door behind him. "Sookie, please talk to me." He sounded so sad.

I looked at him for the first time since we left the restaurant. I took his hand and pulled him to the couch. "Please make yourself comfortable. I'm going to change before we talk OK." He nodded and sat down.

I went to my room and changed into my comfy yoga pants and tank top. When I returned to the living room, Eric was still waiting on me. Part of me was afraid he'd leave, believing what Lorena said. Course, maybe she's right. I don't know. I took a deep breath and sat down beside him. He pulled me to him. I started because I had to know. "Did you mean it Eric?" He looked a little confused. "What you said to Lorena."

I saw him soften when he understood what I was asking. "Of course I meant it Sookie. If it's alright with you, I would like to consider you my girlfriend and if you would consider me your boyfriend. What do you think?"

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and said "Yes, that sounds great to me. I would like to be your girlfriend very much." I couldn't help but let my best smile creep onto my face. He smiled too.

"I'm sorry you got sick tonight. Was it the baby, the bitch, or both?"

I laughed and said "Probably the bitch. I'm so sorry you had to meet her. When she made her last comment, I just couldn't hold it in any longer."

"Sookie, I hope you don't think I believed a word she said. She's just a bitch that likes to stir up trouble and make others uncomfortable." He was rubbing my back as I rested my head on his chest.

"Thanks Eric. I'm sure she's filling Bill in as we speak. I could tell she couldn't wait."

"Do you have a security system on this house Sookie?" I looked up, surprised by his question.

"No, not yet. I've called the company that Amelia and Pam used, but they aren't supposed to come out until Monday. Why, do you think there could be trouble?"

"Well, in dealing with men like Bill in the past, I would have to say yes. I think it's possible that when he finds out you've moved on, he might pay you a visit."

"But we're divorced. Why would he care?"

"He might not, but if he's as controlling as you say, it wouldn't surprise me at all if it bothers him a great deal when he finds out about you and me. I'm concerned about the possibility that he may come here when you're alone." I shuddered at that thought.

"What should I do? I don't want him coming here and I'll feel safer when the security system is in place, but that won't be until Monday. That's 2 days from now."

"Well, I do have a suggestion, but I'm not sure how you'll feel about it."

"What is it?"

"Would you mind if I stayed here with you this weekend? I can do the few work related things I need to take care of from here. I thought of suggesting my place, but if he does decide to come here, I would like to take care of it quickly. Him having to look for you or wait for you to come home would only make matters worse."

"Are you sure you don't mind? I don't want to put you out or anything." I like this idea.

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I minded Sookie." He had a mischievous grin on his face now.

"OK, then I would like for you to stay with me this weekend Eric. Do you need to go get some things from your place?

"Yes, but I think WE should go. I don't want you here alone. We don't know how long it will be before she tells him about us and I won't take any chances when it comes to your safety." I liked the feeling I got hearing him want to protect me.

So, we got in his car and drove the short distance to his place. I looked around while he packed a bag. His place was very nice and definitely masculine. I liked it. A few minutes later, we were on our way back to my house. I told him that he could park his car in my garage since he'd be here for a while and he just nodded and smiled at me as he pulled in.

It was still fairly early, so after Eric changed into more comfortable clothes (god, he looks simply mouthwatering in a black tank top and gym shorts) we decided to watch a movie. I told Eric to choose because I didn't really care tonight. We cut out the lights so we could enjoy the movie, but we didn't really pay much attention to it.

Eric was sitting against the arm of the couch and I was positioned between his legs, leaning back on his chest. He was stroking my hair, which is something I absolutely love. I moaned a little. I felt him chuckle. He began rubbing my shoulders and I closed my eyes. His fingers have to be magic. I was actually relaxing like I haven't in so long. After a few minutes, I wanted to look at him.

I turned so I could face him. He cupped my face in his hands and I could see what I would swear was love in his eyes. I hoped he could see the same thing in my eyes. He bent and kissed me softly. I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me. Our kiss deepened and we both moaned as our tongues began to explore each other's mouths. This went on for minutes, or hours, I have no idea. It was so wonderful I couldn't have cared less.

I felt him pushing me back and I followed his lead. He was on top of me as we continued kissing each other. I felt his hands going under my top and I moaned as he cupped my breast. I wanted his shirt off of him, so I began pulling it up. He stopped what he was doing long enough to jerk his shirt over his head. Then he was back on me. I ran my fingernails over his back as he went back to my breasts. He pushed my top up so he could have easier access. He kissed down my neck as he massaged one breast. He continued working his way down until he had his mouth on my other breast. I moaned as my nipples pebbled from his attentions. He swirled his tongue around my nipple and I cried out when he lightly bit.

I felt a bulge in his shorts pressing against my thigh. I worked my hand between us and stroked the bulge a few times, eliciting moans from him. I knew my panties were soaked by now. He looked at me with such lust and want in his eyes. We looked at each other for a moment, panting, before he stood and took my hand. I rose from the couch and followed him to the stairs. He lifted me into his arms, and just like Rhett and Scarlett, we went to my bedroom.

He looked at me as he shut the door. "Sookie, I want you more than you can imagine right now, but I have to know you are OK with this." He had such want and need in his eyes.

I took his hand and pulled him over to the bed. I sat down and pulled him to me. "I want you more than I have ever wanted anything in my life Eric." He pulled my shirt over my head as his lips crashed into mine and I felt his tongue searching for entrance immediately. I moaned as I granted him access. We kissed with more passion than I've ever felt in my life before he was cupping my breasts again. He kissed down my neck again and I arched my back to him as he wrapped his mouth around my nipple. He switched to my other breast to make sure he paid equal attention to both.

I felt him reach into my pants and began rubbing my nub. I was coming unglued, I wanted him so badly. He went back to my waist and started pulling my pants down, so I lifted my hips, allowing him to pull them off. I gasped when I realized he had taken my panties with them. He was kneeling between my legs as he took them off. He kissed up my leg to my thigh before doing the same on the other leg.

By the time he got to my center, I was practically whimpering with need. He licked my slit from back to front and my hips bucked when he hit my very swollen nub. He stroked my center a little before putting one finger into my core. When he added another finger I cried out. It felt so good. I knew this wasn't going to take long. He pushed his fingers in and out a few times while licking and sucking my nub. I felt my first orgasm coming quickly. "Oh Eric, please don't stop. I'm gonna come."

"Come for me baby. I want to feel you come on my fingers."

That did it. I felt myself tighten around his fingers as a wave of pleasure crashed over me. He lapped at my core as I shook from the aftershocks. "You taste so sweet Sookie."

After I stopped shaking, I looked at Eric and reached for his shorts. Pushing them down, I was pleased to find he'd gone commando. He kicked them off and I stroked his shaft smiling to myself when I realized how large he was. I looked up at him and pulled him to me.

We began kissing again. We were both moaning as our tongues dueled and our hands were rubbing anywhere they could reach. I pulled away and looked deep into his eyes. "I need you Eric, I need you inside me baby." That's all I had to say. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pushed into my core. He went slowly so I could get used to the feel of him and oh, he felt so good.

"I need you too Sookie." He began to speed up as I clawed his back. I was moving in time with him now. He started massaging my breast as he moved. He moved his hand down and began massaging my clit. I knew we were both getting close. I threw my head back as the pleasure started to build. I'd never felt anything like this. I had to be in heaven.

"Look at me Sookie. I want to watch you come." I snapped my head back up and looked into his eyes as I started to come undone. I cried out as I tightened around him. It felt like little explosions were going off all over my body and I was seeing little silver sparkles. A few more thrusts and he was very close to his climax. "Ah...Ah...Fuck Sookie...YES!" I felt him swell a little more before his release gushed into me. We held onto each other through the aftershocks.

He turned to lie on his back, bringing me with him. I curled into his body and laid my head on his chest. He pulled on my hair a little, making me look up at him. "I love you Sookie. I've known it since I first saw you sitting on that driveway."

I teared up as I saw the honesty in his eyes. "I love you too Eric. I love you so much." He placed a soft kiss on my lips before we snuggled to each other again and drifted of to sleep.

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(Bill)

I heard my phone ringing as I headed into my apartment. I looked at the caller id and smiled when I saw who it was. "Well, this is a surprise Lorena."

"I am in the neighborhood and thought I might drop by if you aren't too busy."

"I'm never too busy for you Lorena."

"I'll be there in 15 minutes then."

"I'll be waiting."

Well, my night has definitely improved. I had a meeting with my attorney today to go over the papers Sookie's lawyer sent over. Looks like the only thing they wanted to add was that I am to stay away from her and the baby once these papers are signed. No problem. I don't want to see the damn kid anyway. I certainly don't want to deal with Sookie. Let her deal with this kid if she wants to, not me! She's on her own. There's a knock on my door.

I open it to see Lorena looking gorgeous on the other side. I pull her in and immediately begin kissing her. She is always ready, so we head to the bedroom.

After a quick session, we are relaxing in my tub. She decides to start talking. Whatever.

"You'll never guess who I bumped into tonight Bill." She has something she is dying to tell me. OK, I'll play along.

"Who?"

"Sookie."

"Is that right. Why would I care about that? So, she's eating alone now, serves her right for leaving me."

"Well, she wasn't alone. I met her new boyfriend and boy is he a looker." Lorena was enjoying this.

"Her boyfriend. When did this happen?" I'm getting angry. What right does she have to be with someone else? Divorced or not, she's still MINE. She can have the damn baby, but no other man can have her!

"I don't know Bill. I get the feeling he's very protective of her. He kept his arm tightly wrapped around her the whole time I was with them." Lorena giggled. I got out of the tub and began drying off. Lorena followed suit.

Once we were dressed she said, "I guess I'll be going now. See ya round Bill." With that she left. I was still seething about what she had told me.

'_I think it's time I paid Sookie a little visit and remind her who she still belongs to.'_

**A/N: I hope you liked it! I have to send a HUGE thank you to txone. This chapter wouldn't have been anywhere near what it is without her help! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I have to thank everyone for the great reviews! They are super and make me want to keep writing. **

**As always, I own none if these characters!**

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Chapter 11:

I stretched as I started waking up and I felt a weight across my abdomen. I looked over and saw Eric sleeping so peacefully beside me. I smiled and moved a stray hair from his face. I didn't want to wake him, but I needed to be closer to him. As I snuggled to him, I felt him squeeze me. I giggled a little when I saw him open his eyes. "Good morning baby. I didn't mean to wake you."

He stretched and looked at me, smiling. "No problem. I like waking up with you in my arms." He kissed my nose.

I tried to move and he squeezed me tighter. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Morning needs. Can't be helped." He nodded and let me up. I finished up with the necessities and brushed my teeth and hair while I was at it. No need to deal with morning breath if I could help it.

When I opened the door he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He jumped up with his duffel bag in hand when he saw me coming out. "My turn!"

While he was taking care of his needs, I found a robe. Then I heard the water running in the shower and had a wicked idea. I quietly opened the bathroom door and stepped inside. He didn't hear me. He had his head under the spray of water. I stepped into the shower as quietly as I could and was surprised that he didn't seem to know I was there. I waited till he removed his head from under the water before I began rubbing my hands up his back. He jerked around and said "Shit Sookie! You trying to give me a heart attack?" Then he smiled at me and turned to face me.

"Sorry, I just thought we could conserve a little water by sharing the shower." I was rubbing his chest now.

"Well, I do believe that's the best idea I've heard in quite a while." He bent down as I tilted my face up to meet his. We began kissing softly, but it moved to passionate quickly. He was rubbing my back and I felt him move his hands down to cup my ass. Before I knew what he was doing, he lifted me and pressed me against the back of the shower.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and I was on fire for this man. He slid to my neck and left a trail of nibbles and kisses along it to my collar bone. I moaned into his ear "Eric, I want you so bad. Please baby."

I heard a growl from somewhere in his chest as he positioned himself at my entrance. He looked at me with lust filled eyes as he plunged into my slick core. This time was more urgent than last night. I held on to him as he thrust in and out of me. I loved how whole I finally felt with him filling me so completely. "Oh Eric, you feel soo good baby."

I could feel my release building right along with his. I looked into his eyes as I felt my climax take over my body in a huge wave of pleasure. With one more thrust, he was exploding inside me. "Ah Sookie….I love you!!"

As I was trying to regain control of my body I whispered "I love you too Eric, more than I ever thought possible." I rested my head on his chest as he lowered me to my feet. I looked up at him and saw nothing but love in his eyes.

I smiled and said "Wow, that's a great way to start the day!"

He laughed out loud and agreed with me. We then got each other clean before we exited the shower. As we were drying each other off, we heard both of our stomachs rumbling. We just laughed and decided to go get some breakfast. When I went back to my bedroom I looked at the alarm clock and saw it was after 10:00. No wonder I was so hungry! Plus, with all the activity in the shower we definitely needed some FOOD.

About 20 minutes later we were heading out the door. We went to a diner close by and had a great breakfast. Eric was looking at me and I could tell he wanted to bring something up I wasn't going to like. "What is it Eric?"

"I'm having such a great time that I hate to spoil it, but we do have a few things we need to talk about."

"Like what?"

"Like Amelia and Jason for one. We can probably add Pam to that by now too. You know they told her about last night by now."

"I've been thinking about that actually and I think I'm going to have to fill them in on everything. Now that I've shared it with you I'm not so ashamed and scared anymore though. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, it does Sookie. You felt more alone than ever when you were put through all of that nastiness. Once you opened up and shared it with me, you realized you aren't alone anymore. At least I hope you know that. I want to be with you Sookie, always. I don't feel alone anymore either now that I have you." He had taken my hand in his.

"I don't feel alone anymore Eric and I know it's because of you. I want to be with you too, more than anything." I leaned across the table towards him and he met me with a sweet kiss.

"Why don't I call Amelia and Jason and see if they can meet us at the house around 2:00 this afternoon? Pam can come too of course. We can go ahead and get this over with."

"OK, if you're sure."

"I am. They aren't going to let it go anyway. Might as well get it over with." I sighed.

"I'll be with you my love."

"Thank you."

We finished up and as Eric paid the bill, I pulled out my cell. I dialed and heard only one ring before I heard "Mornin' Sookie! Are you feeling better?"

"Yes Amelia, I feel much better. I'm calling because I know you so well and I know you are about to bust something to know what's going on."

"You're damn right I am! I hated seeing you so upset last night."

"Well, could you and Pam be at my house around 2:00? We'll fill you in then OK."

"OK, we'll be there and I'll call Jason and tell him. He was upset too. Wait….who's 'we'? Are you telling me Eric is STILL there?!" I could imagine the smirk on Amelia's face.

I felt a smile creep across my face as I saw Eric making his way back to the table. "As I already said Amelia – WE will fill you in later!" I heard Amelia squeal and yell at Pam "Your brother spent the night with my sister!!" Then I heard them both squealing. I had to hold the phone away from my ear and I just laughed.

Eric made it back in time to hear the squeals and gave me an odd look. "Amelia and Pam" was all I had to tell him. He nodded and smiled. "Amelia – I gotta go. We'll see y'all at 2:00."

"OK, by Sookie!" She was still giggling as she hung up. I just shook my head.

"I take it they know I stayed over huh?" Eric was smiling at me.

"Yeah, I never said Amelia was stupid. She rarely misses anything!" I chuckled. "They will all be at the house at 2:00. Amelia's going to call Jason."

"Well, it's 12:00 now, so what should we do to kill some time?"

"Let's just head back to the house if you don't mind. You could work on whatever it is you brought with you so you won't have to worry about it later."

"That's actually a great idea. Let's go!" He grabbed my hand as we stood and left the diner.

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I straightened up my house while Eric was working. I also put a load of laundry on. As stupid as it sounds, I got a little giddy when I decided to wash Eric's clothes with mine. I thought I'd surprise him with clean clothes. Kinda sad, I know. But, I'm happy for a change so I don't care.

I walked back into the living room as Eric was working on his laptop. He looked up and motioned for me to join him on the couch. I sat beside him and he leaned over to kiss me lightly. "Hey baby – I need to talk to you a sec."

"OK, what's up?"

"Well, I was checking my email and I've received one from Victor Madden. Apparently Bill signed the documents yesterday and Madden is sending them back to my office for you to sign and we can file them. After doing a little more research, I discovered that we may have to go to court after all, but it will be up to the judge."

"Well, even if we do have to go to court, I'll be with you, so I'll be fine."

"Good. Now….." he closed his laptop and put it down "how much time do we have before our company arrives?" He has pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me.

"Well, I'm not really sure. Why, do you have something cooking in that gorgeous head of yours?" I kissed him and he moaned a little.

"Actually, I do." He laid a kiss on me then that just caused me to become putty in his hands. Our tongues began exploring each other's mouths and he began pushing me to my back. As soon as he positioned himself over me and his hand started going under my shirt, we heard the doorbell.

He cursed and let me up. As I made sure I was presentable, I chuckled at him when I noticed him pouting. "Aw baby…can I have a rain check?"

He smirked at me and said "to be redeemed VERY soon if I have anything to say about it." I laughed and headed to the door. As expected, it was Amelia, Pam, and Jason. I opened the door and let them in.

They all filed in and spoke to Eric. "Why don't we go to the kitchen and have something to drink while we fill y'all in on everything." I motioned towards the kitchen. Everyone sat down at the table while I got glasses of lemonade. Once everyone had a glass, Eric pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist. Amelia and Pam were just busting to say something and Jason raised his eyebrows.

"OK, first off I can tell you're wondering about me and Eric." I couldn't help but grin as Eric tightened his grip on me. Then he spoke up.

"Yes, Sookie and I are together now – as a couple. I did stay here last night and will be for the remainder of the weekend, but not for the reason you're thinking." He looked at me and whispered "Course I'm here for that reason too." I know I blushed. Amelia and Pam were squealing again and going on about how they knew it. Jason was just laughing at them and at me. As everyone was calming down, Jason decided to get the ball rolling so to speak.

"Well, as happy as I am for y'all, I want to know what was going on last night. I'm also concerned about this reason Eric has for staying here if it's not the one we're all thinking."

I took a deep breath and started. I told them that Lorena was a friend of Bill's and she was the one he cheated on me with. I paused, and Eric noticed I was shaking and had tears in my eyes, threatening to spill out. I'd looked down and he squeezed me before he took over the story. He filled them in with all the details I couldn't bring myself to give. I thought I could do it, but it was harder than I thought it would be. I finally looked up when he finished and each of them had varying degrees of anger, concern, and disgust on their faces. Amelia was the first to speak.

"Oh Sookie, I wish you had told us instead of keeping this bottled up for so long. I'm so glad you finally told someone though." She came over and hugged me.

"I could've killed him before when I just thought he verbally abused you and cheated. Now, I honestly don't know what I would do if I saw him again." Jason was red with anger. I know he felt it was his job to protect Amelia and me as our big brother, but he couldn't protect me from this. I went to him and hugged him.

"Jason, this wasn't your fault. You didn't know. Hell, I didn't know he was capable of something so vile till it was too late. You came through for me when it mattered most and I will be forever grateful to you for that. I love you Jas!" He hugged me back and I noticed the tears in his eyes.

I went back to Eric's lap. Jason looked up and said "Eric, I'm glad you're taking care of my sister now. I'm guessing then that your reason for being here this weekend is…Bill?"

"Yes Jason, it is. I don't know the man but in my past experiences a man as controlling as this Bill sounds will not take the news of Sookie moving on with another man lightly. I'm hoping he will surprise me on this, but I wasn't going to take any chances. Sookie has already called the same security company the Pam and Amelia used with their place and they will be coming out on Monday to install a security system. Since we have no way of knowing how long this 'Lorena' would wait before telling Bill what she found out, I thought it would be better if I stayed with Sookie."

All three were nodding their heads at Eric's reasoning. "But why not take Sookie to your place Eric? He wouldn't know where she is then." Pam wondered aloud.

"I thought of that, but I was afraid it would make matters worse if he had to wait to do whatever it is he may decide to do. If he comes here, we can go ahead and deal with it rather than dragging it out."

Jason agreed with Eric wholeheartedly. He likes to deal with things directly. "By the way Jason, I was impressed with how well you handled him after Sookie first left. She told me about it. I'm not too sure I could have remained as level headed as you if it had been Pam in that situation." Eric said.

"Well, it was the hardest thing I've had to do. But I didn't want to end up in jail for beating him to a pulp and leave Sookie unprotected. She needed me and I tried not to let her down." I went and hugged him again.

"We all need to be smart now like Jason was then. I wouldn't put anything past this guy. I'll feel a lot better when Sookie has the security system in place." Eric was pacing now.

"Why don't I come over Monday morning and wait with you Sookie, so Eric won't worry so much when he has to leave for work?" Pam suggested.

I didn't want Eric to worry or think about being late to work, so I accepted Pam's offer. "Thanks Pam."

I decided I wanted to change the subject. "So, what does everyone have planned for tonight?" Everyone pretty much had the same plans – nothing. Pam did have to go to work for a while, but pretty much just to make sure things were running smoothly.

Eric had a great idea. "Why don't we all get dressed and head back over to Pam's restaurant tonight. I know we were just all there last night, but that didn't turn out so great. Then afterwards Pam can join us for a movie or something."

I loved this idea because things had turned out so rotten at the restaurant last night. Amelia and Jason agreed. They left to go to Amelia and Pam's to get ready. Apparently Jason had started keeping an outfit at their place so he was prepared when things like this came up. He didn't like having to go all the way back out to his place just to change.

Eric went up to my room to get ready as I cleaned up the kitchen a little. I was getting ready to go get myself ready when I heard something at the back door. It sounded like glass breaking or something. I go to investigate and I found my back door open. I knew I hadn't left it that way, so I start backing up and was about to yell to Eric when I felt someone behind me.

"Well, hello Sookie. It's been a long time." My eyes were huge as I turned and saw Bill. The look on his face was one I've never seen before. It scared me to death.

"Bill, you shouldn't be in my house."

"Oh, I think I can do what I want to. My money pays for it after all." I was backing up the hall slowly, hoping he wouldn't notice. "I thought it would be better to catch you before you left for the evening. I understand you have a _'boyfriend'_ now."

He was moving towards me. I had made it to the stairs by now. I started talking louder now, hoping Eric would hear me. "Yes I do Bill. I have found a wonderful man who loves me. But I don't see how this is any of your business."

I didn't see what happened next coming at all. Bill punched me so hard that I stumbled and tripped over the bottom step. It's a wonder he didn't knock me out. "It is my business because you will ALWAYS be **MINE**! No other man can have you!" He walked over to me and kicked me in the side, hard. I coughed blood up in my mouth. He bent and grabbed a fistful of my hair. As he pulled me to a sitting position I saw something out of the corner of my eye. My eye was starting to swell from Bill's earlier punch, so I couldn't tell what it was. I could tell that Bill was about to hit me again, so I tried to brace myself for it. But it never came.

I realized a large shadow was looming over me from behind. I looked up and saw Eric. He looked like he could kill Bill with his bare hands. I looked at Bill, who was looking very angry as well. "You will not lay another hand on her." Eric's voice was like nothing I had ever heard.

"So, you must be the new boyfriend. I am Sookie's _'husband'_. She probably hasn't mentioned me huh?" Bill was crazy, how did I let myself ever get involved with him? Eric had positioned himself in front of me now and I managed to stand up, leaning on the banister.

"I believe you are actually her **ex-**husband, so why are you breaking into her home?"

"I needed to remind her of a couple of things and I didn't think she would let me in."

"You would be correct in that assumption, but do you not realize that breaking and entering is against the law?"

"Yeah well, it's your word against mine since Sookie here isn't smart enough to get a security system." Eric had a very smug look on his face that I didn't understand. Bill was right. A security system should have been one of the first things I took care of when I moved here. "But enough about all of that, I take it you and Sookie haven't been together very long yet."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, she is pretty miserable in the sack, so you must not have gotten that far if you're still around her."

"Actually Bill, I would have to COMPLETELY disagree with your evaluation of Sookie's 'skills' in that area. I have enjoyed myself with her immensely." Oh boy, that did it. I saw the pure rage on Bill's face before he launched himself at Eric.

"How dare you fuck her!" Bill swung at Eric, but missed miserably. The attempt was all Eric needed though. He punched Bill across his jaw hard. Then he swung his other fist and made contact with his nose. I heard a crunch and felt sure that he had broken Bill's nose.

"Sookie and I will do whatever we want and there's not a damn thing you can do about it Bill. The first thing we will be doing is filing charges against you and the second will be getting Sookie a restraining order on you."

"It's still your word against mine and in today's world, having your _'lover'_ as your only witness isn't enough." He had an evil smile on his face. What if he's right?

"Well then it's a good thing we aren't the only witnesses here tonight." Eric looked around. I followed his gaze and saw Jason, Amelia, and Pam coming from thedirection of the kitchen. Pam was even holding a video camera. I also heard sirens getting closer too. I turned and looked at Eric and he just smiled at me, but then his look turned to concern as he came to me. "Are you alright Sookie? I'm sorry I wasn't faster, but when I heard you say his name I quickly called Jason and told him to get here quick with a camera. I guess they called the police." He hugged me and I cringed a little. My side really hurt.

Eric noticed and got even more concerned. "Sookie, I thought he only hit you, what's wrong?"

"He kicked me in the side too. I spit up some blood, but that could have been from him hitting me." I was feeling woozy. I heard someone coming in the door and talking to Jason I think.

Then I saw a police officer go over to Bill, who was sitting on the floor holding his nose. I heard more sirens and figured someone had called an ambulance. This is getting a bit ridiculous – 2 ambulances called to my house in a week's time. I looked around, wanting to find somewhere to lie down, but I was afraid to move too much and possibly make things worse on me. I noticed that Pam had gotten Eric's laptop and was working quickly on something.

Another officer came over to me and Eric. "We have sent for an ambulance 'mam. The gentleman who let us in informed us of your condition. They should be here soon. Do you feel up to telling me what happened here tonight?"

I held on to Eric as I told the officer what happened. He took a few notes. Then Pam came over to us, carrying a disc. "Excuse me officer, I thought you could use a copy of this. I had a video camera with me when we arrived and was able to record most of the incident." She held the disc out to the officer, who nodded and took it. He then took statements from Amelia, Jason, and Pam.

I saw the EMTs come rushing in and they were directed over to me. One of the officers asked if one of them could see to Bill before they took him away. That officer also asked to get Eric's statement while the EMT was dealing with me. After talking with me a bit, the EMT wanted to take me to the hospital just to make sure everything was OK with the baby. He agreed with me that the blood in my mouth had come from Bill punching me, but he told me I'd be pretty black and blue for a few days.

A few minutes later, I was loaded onto a gurney and placed in the ambulance. Eric was right beside me again. Pam had to go into work for a while, but promised she would see us later. The officers took Bill away and asked me to come to the police station to press the charges as soon as I could. I told them I would.

Thankfully, everything was fine with the baby. Eric stayed with me as they did another ultrasound and it was just as amazing as the first one. They didn't admit me this time, thank goodness! They told me to take it easy for a few days and that I would probably be sore for a long time. I didn't start my new job until Tuesday, so that gave me 3 days to do nothing again. Jason and Amelia had followed the ambulance, so Eric and I rode back to my house with them.

I realized I was really hungry, so Jason and Amelia went back out to pick up something for all of us and brought it back to my house. They didn't stay too long after we finished eating. Eric had given me one of my pain pills with supper, so I was starting to get sleepy. After Amelia and Jason left, Eric carried me upstairs. He helped me get into my pajamas and get comfortable in the bed. I looked up at him and must have looked scared because he sat beside me and stroked my cheek. "What's wrong Sookie?"

I couldn't stop myself from tearing up as I asked "Are you still going to stay with me tonight?"

His eyes softened and he gave me a sweet smile. He kissed me lightly on my nose. "I'll stay as long as you need me to Sookie." With that, he removed his clothes down to his boxers and carefully crawled into bed beside me. He carefully gathered me into his arms, trying not to hurt me. Once we were comfortable, he whispered "I love you Sookie."

I was fading fast, but I think I replied "I love you too Eric. Thank you for taking care of me." Then, I was out.

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**A/N: I want to send a special thanks out to APearle for her help with this chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! :o)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I am so glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter. I wasn't too sure about it but couldn't figure out what to change, so after some advice from APearle, just decided to post. Thanks for all the support, it's really great!**

**I did have someone express some concern, wondering if Eric waited to come down till after Bill hit her (as in he watched him do it). I hope that will get cleared up with this chapter.**

**As always, I don't own any of these characters, they are all Ms. Harris's, but I am having a lot of fun with them! :o)**

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Chapter 12:

(Eric)

As I lay next to Sookie, holding her so carefully in my arms, I couldn't help but feel like I failed her. I thought back to what happened tonight to see if I could find anything I could've done differently.

I had turned the water off when I thought I heard her talking to someone downstairs. I figured the others were back, but I should've known it was probably too soon for that. I was just standing in the shower, thinking about how happy Sookie has made me, when I heard a name that made my blood run cold. _**"Yes I do Bill. I have found a wonderful man who loves me. But I don't see how this is any of your business."**_ As soon as I heard Sookie say his name I jumped out of the shower, grabbing the phone as I was trying to find a towel. I was lucky I didn't slip and break my neck getting out of the shower like that. All I said when I heard someone pick up was, "Get here NOW with a camera!" I threw the phone down and threw whatever I could lay my hands on over my body as I ran to the bedroom door.

When I made it to the top of the stairs, I saw her on the ground, holding her face; I could just tell he had hit her. I saw red and ran down the steps as fast as I could. My only thought was to get to Sookie before he could do anything else to her. When I came up behind her, I could tell this man was crazy. He hadn't heard me coming and what I saw before me was enough to make me want to kill him with my bare hands and enjoy every second of it. He had sat her up and looked like he was going to hit her again. _'Over my dead body!'_ I thought, but I told him in no uncertain terms that he would not touch her again.

As he acknowledged my presence I stepped over Sookie so he would have to go through me to get to her. We exchanged a few words and he had the nerve to try and degrade Sookie in front of me by saying she was horrible in bed. Yeah, he's completely insane if he truly believes that! I couldn't stop myself from letting him know exactly how wrong I thought he was about Sookie and how much I enjoyed her. Yeah, not very nice, but I'd had enough of this guy. My words really sent him over the edge and he even tried to hit me. _'Thank you so much Bill! Now my beating you senseless will be considered SELF-DEFENSE!' _These thoughts ran through my head as I took my anger out on Bill. I think I broke his nose and I was happy about it. He was very cocky though, saying we had no witnesses so it would be his word against ours. Man, he really needs to be put in a padded room somewhere. I was never happier to know I'd had the sense to make that call before I came downstairs. I just grinned and turned to see Jason, Amelia, and Pam (who happened to have a video camera in her hand) coming from the kitchen area. We had him!

I turned to Sookie and was heartbroken at what I saw. Her face was swelling and it killed me to know I hadn't been able to stop him from touching her at all. I took her in my arms and felt her cringe. What the hell? I thought he had only hit her so I asked Sookie what was wrong. When she explained that he'd kicked her too, I became even more concerned about her, but worried about the baby too. Thankfully, one of the others must have called the police because I heard an ambulance coming. I just held Sookie as gently as I could until the EMTs arrived.

Once they had her loaded on the gurney and the police had finished with us, they took Bill away and we went to the hospital. It turned out that everything was fine with both Sookie and the baby. I breathed a sigh of relief. Once we were able to leave I found that Jason and Amelia had followed us to the hospital; so we left with them.

I just wanted Sookie to myself to hold her all night, but she let us know she was hungry, so her brother and sister ran to get food for everyone. I was happy that they didn't stay long after we all finished eating. I'd given Sookie a pain pill and knew she would be getting sleepy soon. I helped her get into her pajamas and get comfy in the bed. She looked up at me with such a scared look that I had to know what was wrong. She was concerned that I might not stay with her. If she only knew that I would stay every single night if she'd let me. I simply told her I would stay as long as she needed me. When I crawled in beside her, I took her into my arms so very carefully. I needed to let her know how I felt, so I whispered, "I love you Sookie." Before she slipped into a deep sleep, she responded that she loved me too; she even thanked me for taking care of her.

I was stroking her very gently as I finished with these thoughts. I really didn't know what I could've done differently except have waited on her to finish up downstairs so she could go up with me. I just never thought he would actually break into the house. We were going to the police station first thing in the morning to file the complaint against Bill. I hope he's put away for a long time over this!

I know she is going to be so sore in the morning and I was wishing there was something I could do to ease that for her. Maybe I would draw her a nice warm bath so she could soak for a little while. That should help. I would enjoy taking care of her tomorrow and everyday after if she'll just let me.

As I was finally letting sleep take me, I thought about seeing the baby again during the ultrasound tonight. I saw the little heart beating so fast and when we heard it again, I was so overcome with emotion. I know this is not my child, biologically anyway, but I do intend on making he or she mine in every other way possible. I smile as I drift off to sleep.

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(Sookie)

I stretched as I started waking up and regretted it immediately! OUCH! I was so sore and it felt like my whole body was one big bruise. I realized I was alone in the bed when I reached over to feel Eric. Did he leave after all? I panicked for a moment but then I saw him come out of the bathroom. "Good morning my love, how are you feeling?" He asked as he bent to kiss my forehead.

"Like I've been hit by a truck." I smiled up at him.

"Well, I think I know of a way to soothe you a little. Come with me." He helped me up and took me to the bathroom. He had drawn a warm bath for me. I took care of my morning needs and very gingerly went back to him. He carefully helped me to remove my pajamas and placed me into the water. I also noticed him removing his clothes and he climbed in as well. He positioned himself behind me, placing one leg on either side of me, and pulling me to his chest. He began gently rubbing my shoulders as I let the warm water wash over me. I am so grateful this house has such a large tub. I could definitely get used to this.

I have no idea how long we spent in the tub, but the water was cooling off, so we decided to get out. I felt much better after the bath. Eric had washed my hair and body so I wouldn't have to move much. He was so gentle with me. I couldn't wait until I healed and could reciprocate. I was also glad to have the night before washed off me finally. I knew we needed to go to the police station to make the complaint, so I figured we could grab a bite to eat after we took care of that. I mentioned this to Eric and he agreed.

We went to the police station and took care of everything there we needed to. I was starving by the time we left, so we went to a breakfast bar and I ate A LOT! Eric chuckled at me, but he pointed out that I was eating for two. I decided now might be a good time to talk about the baby a little bit.

"Eric, can we talk about something?"

"Sure Sookie, anything. What's on your mind?"

"This baby and us." I looked at him and I knew he could tell I was nervous.

"Well, I've already said I want to be there for you and the baby both. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's really wrong; I just wanted to make sure you really are OK with the baby and all. I know we've talked about it before, but now that you've met Bill, I guess I'm worried you may change your mind." I looked down, too afraid to see rejection in his eyes.

He moved to my side of our booth and slide in beside me. Then he put his fingers under my chin, lifting my face till I met his eyes. "Sookie, I haven't changed my mind about anything. I love you, and I love this baby. I know that biologically speaking, this is not my child, but in all the ways that matter I want this child to be mine." He had his hand on my belly as he spoke and I had tears of joy in my eyes. "Now, I know we haven't known each other very long, but I feel closer to you than I have ever felt with anyone before. Would it totally freak you out if I told you my hopes for the future?"

"No Eric, I would like to hear your hopes for the future…especially if they include me."

"Baby, they definitely include you. I can't imagine my life without you anymore. I hope that things go well enough for you to eventually agree to marry me and I would like to be listed as the baby's father. I would also like to make it legal by adopting him or her. I know that these are some major decisions, and now is not the time to deal with them, but I hope we get to them down the road."

I couldn't help myself as I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him for all I was worth. He chuckled a little as he returned my hug and kiss. "Eric, you may be right that these are big decisions that we aren't quite ready for yet, but you have made me VERY happy! I love you so much Sweetie and I have the same hopes as you for our future."

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(2 months later)

My life is going better than I ever thought would be possible. My job is great, and it gets me out of the house a couple of days a week and earns me a little spending money. Eric and I are going stronger than ever. We stay at one of our places every weekend and I love him more and more every day. Things with the baby are progressing well too. In fact I have a doctor appointment today and he will be doing an ultrasound. Eric is meeting me there so he can be with us. We're hoping we will be able to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.

The whole mess with Bill will be over soon too. I didn't really care about all the details, but Eric was kept in the loop during the whole process. Turns out he is good friends with the DA and they have worked out a deal that Bill accepted. He will do some prison time, but then be on probation for quite a while. If he comes anywhere near us once he's released he will be locked up for a VERY long time. This also had a bearing on the judge's decision over his parental rights as well. The judge decided that it was for the best Bill had willingly given up his parental rights. So, Eric can adopt the baby anytime we decide now. We haven't discussed it in a couple of months, but we have gotten so close now that it actually hurts when I'm not with him. I live for the weekends and I think he does too.

I get to the doctor's office about 10 minutes early. I go in and get registered and such. As I'm sitting down, I notice Eric has arrived. He makes his way over and sits in the chair next to me. "Hello my love, how are both of you feeling today?" He kisses me as he rubs my belly a little.

"We're both doing good. I feel like I'm going to float away right now though." The doctor had told me to be sure to drink a lot on the day of my ultrasound because it would make it easier to see things during the procedure. So I had much more in me now than I could handle. Thankfully, the nurse called my name quickly and I was never happier to pee in a cup for anyone in my life.

Once we were finished with all the usual stuff, I found myself sitting in a room with an ultrasound machine. Eric was standing next to me. My doctor came in pretty quickly and after I introduced Eric, he got started. Eric and I were watching a TV screen as the doctor took various measurements. I could make out the head and an arm. I had tears in my eyes. Technology really is amazing. Eric was holding my hand and when I looked up, I noticed he had tears in his eyes too.

"So, have you decided if you want to know the sex of the baby Sookie?" The doctor was looking at me, smiling.

"Yes, we would like to know if you can tell." Eric squeezed my hand at my response.

The doctor pointed out where he was looking and then he said "Well, I am almost positive that you're having a little girl." He smiled a huge smile at us.

"Really, a little girl, you're sure?" I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks.

He grinned and handed me some tissue. "Well, as I've told you, ultrasound isn't 100% accurate when it comes to detecting the sex of a baby. However, based on what I'm seeing here, I feel confident in saying she's a girl. I've been wrong before of course, but not very often." He winked at me. "If I don't feel confident in my prediction, I will say I can't tell rather than make what could easily be an inaccurate prediction."

I looked over at Eric and he had the biggest grin I have ever seen on his face. I squeezed his hand and just smiled back at him. The doctor finished the ultrasound, printed some pictures for my file and he gave us some to take with us. Thankfully, he let me get up and I rushed to the restroom. When I came out, Eric was waiting on me and he was gazing at the pictures we'd been given. I walked to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He hugged me close to him and sighed. It was such a contented sigh. He bent down and kissed me very sweetly before we went out to finish talking with the doctor.

The doctor told me that I should be right at 20 weeks based on the size of the baby, which was about right based on the calendar too. That means I'm half-way through! He gave a few more instructions and said he'd see me next month.

Eric was holding my hand as we left the office. "So, do you have to head back to work now Sweetie?" I was really hoping he didn't, but he does have a lot of work to do.

"I thought we could grab a bite to eat before I go back, but then I want to take you out tonight so we can celebrate OK." He was just beaming.

"That sounds great! Where are we going?" I'm excited now!

"Nope, that's a surprise!" He kissed my nose. I had taken a cab to the doctor's office, so I got in the car with Eric and we were off.

A couple of hours later, I was back at home. Eric had dropped me off before heading back to work. He told me to be ready by 7:00.

I decided a nap would be a good thing since we were going out tonight. I have been really tired during this pregnancy, but everyone assures me it's normal. As I drifted off to sleep, I kept thinking _'We're having a little girl.'_

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I felt much better after my nap. I was thankful that I woke up in time to get in the shower and get ready for my date with Eric. I finished up and was heading down the stairs when I heard the doorbell. I glanced at the clock and it was 2 minutes to 7. I hurried to the door and found Eric standing there with a bouquet of the prettiest pink roses I have ever seen. I smiled and stood back so he could come in.

"Here you go beautiful. These are for BOTH my girls." I took them and gave him a big kiss. I found a vase for them and they were so pretty that I didn't want to leave them in the kitchen. I brought them back to the living room and put them on the coffee table so I could enjoy them more.

Then I went back to Eric and pulled him down to me for a proper kiss. The man could make my toes curl with just one of his kisses. We kissed lightly at first, but a small moan escaped his mouth when he granted my tongue the access it was searching for. Our tongues lazily caressed the other for a few moments, and then I felt him pull away. "If we keep this up, we'll never make it out of the house."

"I don't think I'd have a big problem with that at this moment." I was beginning to wish we could stay in tonight.

"No, as much as I would enjoy this, we need to go. Maybe we can resume this when we return." He kissed me lightly.

"OK, but we better get home quickly!" We both laughed at that. I went to check the alarm and we left. I did feel much better about being alone in the house now that I had my security system. It was state of the art and worked well. It was always engaged too. I wasn't taking any chances.

Eric still wasn't telling where he was taking me. He was having fun with this, so I quit asking. We chatted about his day and my afternoon for a while. I felt the car stop and looked around. I could tell we were on the river front and I got excited. There are some nice restaurants here as well as a really nice walkway that could be very romantic if you were with someone you love. Lucky me!

Eric guided me to the Italian restaurant there and I was very excited. He knows how much I love Italian food! The food was excellent and we had a great time. I enjoy spending any time I can get with this man. Once we were finished, Eric guided me towards some of the boutiques that are located along the river. When I saw which one he was heading for first I squeezed his hand. He stopped and took me in his arms. "I thought we would celebrate our news today by doing a little shopping for the baby."

My eyes filled with tears and I hugged him tightly. "Thank you Eric. I haven't gotten anything for the baby yet."

He kissed me on the nose and said "Well, why don't we remedy that right now." He pulled me to the store. We had the best time in this store and left with some very cute clothes and other items for our baby girl. Eric even picked out a little onesie that said 'Daddy's Little Girl' on it.

I had my arm threaded through Eric's as we slowly walked back up the walkway, just enjoying the night. He stopped us at the water fountain and we sat down for a moment. I was looking up at the stars and didn't notice Eric was looking at me. He pulled me out of the stars, at least momentarily.

"Sookie, I want you to know that I love you very much."

"Oh Eric, I love you too…" The look on his face let me know I had interrupted him, but he kissed me sweetly before continuing.

"I truly never thought I would find anyone who could make me as happy as you do. I don't want to lose what we have." He moved till he was kneeling on one knee in front of me and I gasped.

His eyes were glistening with tears as he took my hand and looked deeply into my eyes. "I love you with all my heart, mind, body, and soul Sookie Stackhouse. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He held up a small, velvet box and I had tears running down my face as he opened the box. It held the most beautiful ring I have ever laid eyes on.

I was trembling as I gave him my answer. "Oh Eric, you have owned my heart since the first time I saw you. Yes, I'll marry you!" He let out the breath he was holding and with a dazzling smile on his face; he slipped the ring onto my finger. I cupped his face and pulled him to me for a long, passionate kiss. He jumped up and took me in his arms. He held me tightly as he twirled me around and I giggled as I hugged him tightly to me. "I love you Eric Northman!"

"I love you too Sookie soon to be Northman!"

As we made our way back to the car and then home, I don't think I'd ever been happier in my life.

(Eric)

We were heading back to Sookie's house after what had to be the best night of my life. Sookie agreed to marry me! I was a little afraid that she would think it was too soon but thankfully she didn't. My ultimate goal is for us to be married before the baby comes so all of us will have the same name. I decided to wait until Sookie is ready to set a date for the wedding. Then we can discuss all of this. I just want to get her home and under me as soon as possible. I want to celebrate some more.

I look over at her and find she is looking at her ring. I think she really liked it when she saw it, but I don't think she took too much time to look at it. I know she doesn't wear a lot of jewelry, so she probably wouldn't have liked a really big ring. She's just not a flashy girl. I reach over and take her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips and place a kiss on the back of it. She looks at me and releases a very contented sigh.

We get back to her house and after she makes sure the alarm is set again, we head to her bedroom. She goes to the bathroom to take care of her evening needs and I get comfortable in the bed. She climbs into bed with me and her body just naturally curves into mine. I think she was made just for me sometimes.

"Eric, should we talk about a date now, or can we do it tomorrow?" She let out a yawn. I can tell she is getting tired.

"No Sookie, I think we can talk about all of that tomorrow. Right now I want to make love to my future wife." I lean in to claim her lips before she can respond. But oh how she responds to my kiss.

(Sookie)

Oh. My. God. I am the luckiest woman in the world tonight. Not only is Eric now my fiancé, but he is definitely a world class kisser. My lips part to allow his tongue entrance and I can't help the moan that escapes as I feel his tongue caress mine. Oh, I just knew this was going to be the perfect end to the most wonderful night of my life. And I was right…twice!

**A/N: I know this is a pretty happy chapter, but I couldn't help myself. I do have a few potential 'problems' going around in my head for these two, but I thought they needed a break. **

**I also want to thank my new beta (Sunkisz) for her help with this chapter! She is great and if you haven't checked out her stories, you definitely should!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, they're awesome! I'm glad everyone enjoyed the happy chapter!**

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Chapter 13:

I woke the next morning feeling better than I ever have before. I looked over at Eric and smiled. This wonderful, loving, sexy man was now my fiancé. I still couldn't believe he wanted to marry me. I brought my hand up and realized this was the first time I'd really been able to look at my ring. I was right last night…this is the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen. Eric knows me well. It's not a huge, flashy ring. I wouldn't have liked that very much.

I glanced at the clock and saw it was a little after 8:00. I stretched, took care of my morning needs, and decided to snuggle back up to my fiancé for a while.

About an hour later, I felt Eric stirring. I looked up at him as he squeezed me to him tighter. "Good morning handsome."

He stretched and looked down at me. "Good morning yourself. I had a great dream last night."

"Really, what was it about?"

"You, of course. I dreamed you agreed to marry me." He was smiling at me now. I could tell he was having a little fun.

"Well, lucky for you it wasn't a dream then huh?" I tickled him, knowing full well that he would get me back. I was screaming before I knew it.

By the time we got ourselves up, cleaned up, made love, cleaned up again, and got dressed it was close to 10:00 and I was starving. "I think I'm going to have to start keeping snacks in the bedroom for me Eric."

"Why baby?"

"You said it, 'Baby'. I am starving by the time we get around to having breakfast and I feel a little sick too. I don't think this little girl likes having to wait to get breakfast." I was rubbing my ever growing baby bump.

Eric knelt in front of me and kissed my bump. "I'm so sorry baby girl. I won't keep Mommy from eating from now on." He stood up and kissed me. "I'm so sorry baby. I don't want you feeling sick, especially if I can prevent it. Let's go get some food in you OK."

I felt much better once I had some food in my belly. While we were eating, I thought we should start some discussions about our future. "Eric, we should start making some decisions don't you think?"

"Sure, where do you want to start?"

"Well, when do you want to tell people we're engaged? I figure we will tell Pam, Amelia, and Jason first. You know the first question they ask is going to be 'When'. Should we go ahead and set a date?"

"I did want to talk to you about that Sookie. How would you feel about getting married before the baby is born? Then we would all have the same name. I would also like to go ahead with the adoption papers so that once she's born, she will be legally mine from the very beginning. Would that be alright with you baby?"

"Oh Eric, that sounds just wonderful. You really do think of everything. I love you!"

"I love you to Sookie!"

I reached into my purse and pulled out my calendar. "If I'm due in December, then I guess we should have a fall wedding. I'm thinking maybe sometime in October. That way I won't be too close to the due date."

"I think October would be super. Which weekend do you want to do it?"

"Hmmm. Well, let's stay away from Halloween weekend. I think that's just a weird time for a wedding. How about the 24th? The fall colors should be really great by then."

"I'd say we have our wedding date. October 24th sounds great to me. I know we will need to wait to take our honeymoon till after the baby comes, but we will get our honeymoon, one way or another." He had an evil little grin on his face as he said that. I laughed and swatted him on his arm. At that point, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sook, how are you doing this morning?"

"I'm great Jason, what's up?

"I'm glad I caught you. I wanted to invite you and Eric out to the house tonight. I thought we'd have a cookout and just chill out for a while. Can y'all make it?"

"Hang on…" I put my hand over the mouthpiece and looked at Eric. "It's Jason and he's invited us out to his house for a cookout tonight. Wanna go? I was thinking this is perfect because we can tell everybody our good news at one time."

"Sounds great to me Sookie. Find out what time."

"OK, I'm back Jason. We'll be there. What time, and what do we need to bring?"

"Great Sook! Be here around 7:00 and just bring yourselves. I've got everything else taken care of! See y'all tonight!"

"Love ya Jason, see you tonight." He hung up. "Well, this takes care of when we'll tell everyone. We can also tell them about our little girl." I smiled as I rubbed my bump again. I've noticed I'm doing that more often now.

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We arrived at Jason's house about 5 minutes till 7:00. There were already quite a few cars there. As we walked in, Eric was holding my hand. We found Jason and I gave him a big hug. "Hey Sis! Boy, you look great! Eric, you must be taking real good care of her man!" He shook Eric's hand. He then asked if he could talk to Jason for a second and they wandered off. I made my way to the kitchen to see if there was anything I could do. I also wanted something to drink.

It looked like everything was taken care of in the kitchen, at least for the moment, so I wandered back into the living room. I saw Eric and Jason coming towards me. Eric had a big grin on his face and Jason was looking proud. I gave them a curious look. "So, what have you two been up to?"

Jason came over to me and gave me a huge hug. He whispered, "Congratulations Sookie. Eric told me that he wants to take care of you for the rest of his life and I believe him. Please be happy."

I felt the tears escape as I hugged him back and told him, "Thank you Jason. I will be very happy with him."

He pulled back and I saw him wipe a tear away from his eye. I made a decision right then and there that I hadn't really thought of or discussed with Eric, but I thought he would want me to do what I needed to do. I took Jason's hand and asked, "Jason, you are the best big brother a girl could ask for. Would you please be the one to give me away?"

"I'd be honored Sookie, of course I will. You just let me know when and where and I'll be there."

"The when is October 24th, but we haven't gotten to the where yet. I'll let you know when we do. Oh, one more thing. Don't say anything about this yet OK. We want to tell Amelia and Pam, and then you can make a big announcement to everyone else if you want to later tonight."

"Sure Sookie, no problem. Believe me, I'll be able to tell when Amelia finds out, so I'll know it's safe to make the announcement. I gotta go check on some stuff, so I'll catch up with y'all later!"

Eric wrapped his arms around me as Jason went off to check on his other guests, who were outside. "You didn't tell him about the baby."

I leaned back into him and said, "Well, I thought after he made the announcement about our engagement that you could take the opportunity to tell everyone that piece of news. What do you think?"

"Are you sure you don't want to tell everyone yourself?"

"Well, you are her daddy and I think you should do it!" I turned around to face him and saw the huge smile on his face. I kissed him and then pulled him outside with the other guests.

As soon as we got on the deck, I was almost tackled by Amelia. Pam was right behind her. "Jason said we needed to find you because y'all needed to talk to us. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's 'wrong' Amelia, geez. Calm down! But yes, we do need to talk to both of you." We went over to the side of the house, away from the other guests. There were actually a lot of people here. I knew a good many of them from growing up out here. "Alright, Eric and I have some news."

"I have asked Sookie to marry me and she said yes!" Eric took over. Both girls squealed very loudly and I looked over to the grill and saw Jason shaking his head, laughing.

Amelia grabbed me into a bear hug as she told me how happy she was for me. Pam was hugging Eric too. I heard her say something along the lines of "About time big brother."

Then she came over to hug me and Amelia jumped into Eric's arms. Pam said she couldn't wait for me to be her sister for real and we both turned as Amelia was hugging Eric with all her might and saying, "You'll finally be my brother for real Eric!!" He let out a loud laugh and told Amelia he'd be very happy being her brother. After we answered as many of their questions as we could, we heard Jason call everyone over to fix their plates. I told Eric to go ahead. I had to go to the bathroom before I ate. He kissed me and said he'd save me a seat with him.

After I took care of my business I was heading through the living room to go back outside, but I stopped at the fireplace to look at some of the old pictures on the mantle. I missed our parents and Gran. I didn't go through this when I married Bill. I think deep down, I knew no one was happy I was going to marry him, so I let him talk me into eloping. Eric and I would have a real wedding and I was sad that so many of my family members wouldn't be there.

I was lost in my thoughts and didn't hear someone else come in the room. I was startled when I heard, "Well, as I live breath, it's Sookie Stackhouse." I cringed when I realized who it was. I turned and realized he'd had too much to drink almost immediately.

"Hello Alcide, it's been a while." I began moving towards the door. I needed to get back outside and quick.

Even drunk, Alcide knew to block my path to the door. "What's your hurry Sookie, let's catch up." He was moving closer to me and I didn't like it. "I heard you was single again. Lucky for me huh?" This was not going to go well at all. Alcide had always liked me a little too much for my comfort, but I dealt with him because he's a friend of Jason's.

"I should be getting back to the party Alcide." I was trying to get out of this without a scene. I should have known better.

Alcide grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to him. "You're looking really pretty Sookie. Let's get comfortable." He pulled me over to the couch and was on top of me before I could do anything to stop him. He's a really big guy too, so there wasn't any way for me to push him off of me.

"Get off of me Alcide. I'm not interested in you this way, I never was." I was trying to push him off, but I would've had more luck pushing a brick wall.

"Awe, Come on Sookie. Let's have some fun." He began kissing roughly at my neck and grabbing my breasts through my clothes.

"NO ALCIDE! GET OFF ME!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I heard someone else come running in the room but I had no idea who it was. I felt Alcide being pulled off of me and I realized then it was Jason. He's not as big as Alcide, but he was MAD.

"What the hell Stackhouse? We were just having a little fun," he leered at me. "Ain't that right Sookie?" I couldn't speak. I was shaking too badly.

"Get out of my house Alcide. Don't come back either." I could see the rage on Jason's face. Too bad Alcide was too drunk to see it.

"Awe Jas, you don't mean that. Let's go grab a beer. She's to 'pure' for my taste anyway. I figure Bill woulda changed that about her." Alcide was stumbling.

"SHUT UP ALCIDE AND GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!" Jason was about to lose it and I wasn't dumb enough to get in the way. I curled up on the couch, as small as I could get. I needed Eric.

"You don't order me around Stackhouse!" Alcide hit Jason but it didn't connect very well. Jason started punching Alcide wherever he could reach. Alcide tried to fight back, but he was too drunk and Jason was too mad. Eric came running in with Sam right behind him. Amelia, Pam, and Tara were behind them. The guys were trying to stop Jason and Alcide and the girls made their way over to me. When the fighting finally stopped, Jason looked like he had barely even been in a fight, but Alcide looked pretty rough. Looked like he would have a nice black eye in the morning. He had a bloody nose too. Well, serves him right. I hadn't said anything to the girls; I was still curled in a little ball. Sam came over and told Tara he was going to take Alcide home and he'd be back in a bit. Another of Jason's friends, Tray, came in when Sam called him and helped him get Alcide out to the car. Amelia saw Eric coming to me so she went to check on Jason. Pam and Tara made themselves scarce too.

Eric sat down with me on the couch and gently pulled me to him. I was still trembling. He stroked my hair and kissed my head. "Sookie, are you OK? Please tell me what happened."

Something in me had snapped this time. I looked at him and I was mad. "No Eric, I'm not alright. I'm sick of this. I'm sick of men thinking they can do whatever they want to do with me or to me and me not being able to do a damn thing about it. I'm tired of having to depend on you or my brother to come to my rescue. I want to take care of myself for a change!" I jumped off his lap and ran out the door.

(Eric)

I started to go after her, but I felt someone pull on my arm. I turned and saw Amelia. "Let her go Eric. She needs a little space right now." I jerked my arm from her and was about to tell her something I would never normally say to Amelia when she kept going. "Look, I get it Eric. You're upset this happened to her and you're mad as hell that you didn't get to kick his ass, but she has reached her limit. She has been through more than you know, going all the way back to when she was a little girl. She just needs a little space to figure things out. I for one am glad she's finally reached this point."

I relented and sat back down on the couch. Amelia sat with me. "What happened in here tonight Amelia? Did Jason say anything?"

Jason came into the room about that time. "I was heading to the door so I could get another trash bag when I heard Sookie yelling. The music was too loud outside for anyone to hear her unless they were right at the door. Thank god I needed that trash bag. Anyway, when I came in I saw him on top of her on the couch. She was crying and he was being rough with her – kissing her neck and grabbing at her chest. I jerked him off of her and we exchanged a few words. He swung at me first, but I ended it. I'm sorry man. I never knew he liked her that way. I know it won't help, but he was really drunk. When he's sober, Alcide's an OK guy. He just makes a lousy drunk." He went back outside to check on things after he explained what he knew to me.

I turned to Amelia. "What did you mean she's been through more than I know and you're glad she's reached this point?"

Amelia took a deep breath. "Eric, it's not my place to fill you in on Sookie's past. She will share it with you when she's ready. I'm glad she's reached this point because I haven't seen this fire in her in a long time. She really is getting back to the old Sookie now. Growing up, she wouldn't take anything off anybody. Jason taught both of us how to fight, and win. He also taught us how to shoot many types of guns, and we're both really good shots. He wanted us to be able to defend ourselves if the need arose. Sookie used her skills more than once, and everybody knew not to mess with her. All of that changed when Bill took her over." She looked down.

"What do you mean when Bill took her over?" I was so concerned about Sookie, but I had a feeling I needed to know all of this.

"Bill completely took control of every aspect of her life. I know she's shared a lot of this with you, but I want you to know what we all saw. She didn't realize how much she had changed. I think she is starting to see it now and she doesn't like it one bit. Little by little, we watched our Sookie disappear. It got to the point that we hardly ever spoke to her and saw her even less. Bill wanted to totally dominate her. He kept her away from everyone who loved her, even me and Jason. It was hell. When she finally showed up on my doorstep that morning, I was so relieved. Jason came over and it was decided she would come here with him until things were calmer. We both realized that she wasn't the same Sookie and we wondered if we would ever get her back. I began seeing little signs of her making her way back when she met you. I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you have done for her Eric."

"So what should I do Amelia? I want to go to her. I want to protect her." I was so lost on this one. I sure didn't want to push her away.

"Go back to the party, but don't look for her. I know it'll be very hard for you, but let her come to you. Believe me, she will. She's not angry at you Eric. I think she's most angry at herself right now." I nodded as she hugged me and we went back outside.

(Sookie)

I ran down to the pier at the pond on Jason's property. I spent a lot of time here when I stayed with Jason after I left Bill. I'm able to think here.

What's wrong with me? I've never been a weak person. But that's exactly what I've become. How did I let Bill do this to me? Before, I wouldn't take crap off anybody. The old Sookie would've handed Alcide his balls for trying that with me. (I fact I had once before when he was drunk.) But now, I don't even know myself anymore. I have to change this. I want my little girl to be strong, like I used to be. I want her to be able to take care of herself and not have to depend on anyone. I know there are times when you need help, but I should've been able to handle what happened tonight before it got so bad. I **will** be able to if it ever happens again.

I don't know how long I stayed out here, but when I finally decided to rejoin the party, I had made some important decisions. I needed to talk to Jason and I needed to go to Eric.

I really hope Eric doesn't think I ran off because I'm angry at him because I'm not. I love him. I just hope he can understand my decisions and support me. I think he will.

I walked back up to the house and I saw Eric talking to Amelia and Sam. I longed to go straight to him, but I needed to talk to Jason first. I found him cleaning the grill. "Jason, can I talk to you a sec?"

He turned and gave me a hug when he saw me standing there. "Sure Sook, let's sit over here." He led me to a bench located off to the side. "What's up?"

I took a deep breath. "When you get some time, can you help me brush up on my shooting skills?"

He looked surprised but I could tell he understood. "Sure Sookie, it's been a while. Sounds like fun. You want to come out next Saturday for lunch and then we'll go out?"

"I'll bring lunch with me OK, around noon?" He nods his head and hugs me again. "Thank you Jason."

"No problem…at all." He heads back to the grill to finish up. I look around and spot Eric. He's sitting alone now. I get up to go to him.

He rises as I get to him and he takes me in his arms. I will never get enough of how it feels to be here. He sits down, pulling me onto his lap. "Sookie, are you alright?" I can tell how worried about me he has been.

"I'm better now, but I think it will take a while before I'm alright again. Before you go blaming Alcide, all of this is not his fault. He was drunk and he makes a terrible drunk. I've handled him before with no problems. When he's sober, he's really not that bad a guy." I chuckle a little.

"Then what happened baby? You were so angry earlier. You actually scared me a little. I've never seen you like that."

"Please know I wasn't angry at you. I love you more than anything. I was…I am angry at myself. Would you mind terribly if we discussed this later, in private?"

He kissed me and nodded that he understood. "Here, I fixed you a plate before they cleaned everything up. When I saw you talking to Jason, I went inside and heated it up for you. Do you feel like eating?" He takes such good care of me.

"Actually, I didn't realize I missed the meal till I saw this plate. I am very hungry. Thank you so much sweetie." I kissed him and moved to the seat next to him so I could dig in.

After a few minutes, I saw Jason heading over. He asked Eric and me if we still wanted him to make the announcement and Eric looked to me to decide that. "Yes Jason, I would like that very much." I smiled at Eric. I needed to reclaim this evening.

Jason stood on one of the chairs and got everyone's attention. The music was turned down so he could be heard. "OK everybody. I've been sitting on some big news all night and I'm about to bust! Earlier the evening, I found out that my little sister Sookie is going to be getting married!" Everyone cheered! Jason held his hands up so they would quiet back down. "She is marrying a man I've known for quite a while now and I couldn't be happier. This is Eric Northman and I'm so glad he won my sister's heart. Everybody, let's raise a cup to Eric and Sookie!" Everyone did and I teared up as Eric kissed me.

Then Eric stood up and took my hand. I stood beside him with a goofy grin on my face. "We would like to share another piece of good news if we may." He looked over towards Jason, Amelia, and Pam. "This is news we haven't shared with anyone yet. Sookie and I are having a baby as most of you probably already knew. Well, we found out yesterday that we are going to have a beautiful baby girl!!" Everyone cheered again and we were bombarded by our sisters first!

After everyone had come by and congratulated us, it was getting late. Amelia and Pam were tickled pink about having a niece and all Jason could do was shake his head and grin. This child is going to be so spoiled.

I snoozed on the way home, after promising Eric that we would talk more there. He held my hand all the way I think.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Real life has been crazy lately and I was having a hard time deciding where I wanted to go with the story. I hope everyone likes it! Huge thanks go out to APearle and my beta, Sunkisz, for their help with this one!!**

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Chapter 14:

(Eric)

It was so hard for me to follow Amelia's advice to give Sookie her space. The last time I let a girl have 'space' it turned into a disaster. But something told me to trust Amelia on this. So I went back outside with her to the party. What on earth did Amelia mean when she said I didn't know everything Sookie's gone through? It goes all the way back to when she was a little girl? As I was lost in my thoughts, it hit me that Sookie hadn't gotten anything to eat. I didn't want them to clear everything away before she returned- so I fixed her a plate.

Before long Sam was back and came over to apologize to me for Alcide. He said pretty much the same thing Jason had earlier about Alcide being a terrible drunk, yada, yada, yada. Maybe he is, but I still don't like him one bit.

After a while, I was about to go looking for Sookie because she'd been gone so long. I was getting really worried. Sam and Amelia were talking about who knows what. Then I saw her coming out of the woods around Jason's house. She looked at me, but she went towards Jason first. I watched him take her to a side bench where they talked for a few minutes. I decided to go heat her plate up for her remembering my promise to our little girl and not let Sookie go hungry! When I came back out, I saw Jason hugging her. I took my seat again and waited for her to come to me. Thankfully, it didn't take long.

I saw her making her way over to me and I stood up. When she got to me I just took her in my arms. I love holding her. I wasn't ready to let go of her, so I pulled her to my lap as I sat down. I had to know if she was ok. Her response surprised me, but I was glad she was being completely honest with me. We talked for a bit and she assured me she wasn't angry at me, but she wanted to wait till we were alone before going into details. I will help her in any way I can. I've been concerned because I knew she hasn't really faced everything that Bill did to her. Maybe she is finally starting to do that.

I was so glad I'd fixed a plate for her. When I showed it to her, she got the sweetest smile on her face, and dug right into it. A little bit later Jason made his way over to us. He asked if he should still make the announcement. I looked to Sookie for that answer. I was glad she wanted to go ahead with our plans. Everyone was thrilled and I was very proud when I stood, with Sookie by my side, to make the rest of the announcement. Amelia and Pam practically pounced on us after my little speech. They are so going to spoil this little girl. I also have a feeling she'll have Uncle Jason wrapped around one little finger (and me around the other).

The party started winding down as I noticed how late it was getting. I looked over at Sookie and could tell she was getting tired. I really wanted to talk to her tonight, so I asked her if she was ready to go. She was, so once we said our goodbyes, we were heading home. She promised that we would talk at home. She snoozed and I held her hand all the way home.

Once we got home, I realized she was just too wiped out to talk tonight. She was so groggy when I woke her up to go inside; I just carried her up the stairs once I made sure the alarm was set correctly. She managed to get her gown on and she was asleep again before I got comfortable. I kissed her and then went to sleep myself. We could talk tomorrow.

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(Sookie)

As I stretched and began waking up, I realized it was morning. Oh crap! I'd promised Eric we would talk last night. I hope he wasn't angry with me for falling asleep on him. I glanced over and saw him looking at me with a smirk on his face.

"Good morning beautiful," he said as he kissed me softly.

"Good morning yourself," I said kissing him back. "I'm sorry about last night Eric." He looked confused.

"What about last night?"

"I promised we would talk when we got home and I fell asleep on you," I said looking down.

He lifted my chin with his finger till I was looking at him. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him. "Sookie, it's not a problem. I knew you were tired so I figured we'd just talk sometime today, whenever you're ready. First things first though." He turned around and bent to pick something up from the floor. He came up holding a tray of food. "You need to eat your breakfast." He laid the tray over me and got comfortable again.

I just looked at the tray and then at him. "Eric, you didn't have to do all this!" He had made some bacon and scrambled some eggs. There was also a bowl of fruit, a slice of toast, some juice and milk.

"Actually, yes I did Sookie. Don't forget that I made a promise to our little girl that I wouldn't let you go hungry anymore!"

"I love you so much Eric Northman. You spoil me though." I grinned at him as I started eating.

"I love you too Sookie and you know it's my job to spoil you." He grinned back.

I leaned back on my pillows and enjoyed my breakfast. Eric is so good to me. He noticed I was finished and removed my tray. As he was getting himself comfortable again, I snuggled up to him. He put his hand over my growing baby bump and leaned down to whisper, "There you go baby girl. Mommy isn't going hungry today." He kissed the bump and sat back up. I put my arms around his neck and pulled him to me. I kissed him and was very happy when he responded. We kissed each other for a few moments before I felt his tongue gliding across my lips, searching for entrance. I let out a small moan as I parted my lips and felt his tongue slip into my mouth. He tasted so good. I let my tongue explore his mouth a little too and felt his growing excitement on my thigh.

He started kissing and nipping his way to my neck and I shuddered when he found that sweet spot behind my ear. As he was paying attention to my neck, I felt his hand slip under my shirt and make its way to my breast. He palmed it for a few moments before moving to the other one. I groaned as I felt my nipples pebble under his attentions. He stopped what he was doing long enough to lift my shirt over my head. When he began again, he went back to my neck and was kissing and sucking hard as I ran my fingers through his hair.

He continued kissing and nipping his way down my body until I felt his mouth on one of my breasts. His hand had found its way back to the other. I threw my head back as I arched into his mouth and hand more. I pulled him closer to me and moaned when I felt him bite softly on my very hard nipple. He switched sides and paid equal attention to both my breasts. I felt his hand moving down my body even further. "Mmmm, Eric," I moaned as I felt him run his fingers along my soaked folds.

He rubbed my clit a few times and I gasped at the sensations I felt. He made his way further down my body until I felt him kissing and nipping my inner thighs. I was on fire and I think I was dying slowly, right along with the slow pace Eric was setting. "Watch me Sookie," he commanded. When I looked into his eyes, my fire starting burning out of control. He never broke eye contact as he started licking my folds. I felt his tongue circling my nub and thought I was going to explode then and there. But he wasn't through with me. As his tongue was working my nub, I felt him slide a finger inside my wet core. He began sliding his finger in and out and I felt the pleasure building.

He added another finger and curled them until he was hitting that special spot. I was bucking like a wild bronco, so he wrapped my legs over his shoulders to hold me still. A few more rubs against that spot as he sucked my nub, sent a huge tidal wave of pleasure over my entire body.

I couldn't speak for a few moments. I'd never felt anything quite like that, but I wanted more. He was making his way back up my body and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he kissed my nose. I pulled him to me and kissed him more passionately than I ever have in my life. As our kiss deepened, I wrapped my legs around his waist. "Oh, baby… I need you so bad." He stopped long enough to get himself undressed. I was bursting with desire for this man. He kissed me again and I wrapped my body around his. "Please baby, I need to feel you inside me," I was moaning as he positioned himself at my entrance.

"Oh Sookie, I need you to!" was all I heard before I felt him thrust in me. I gasped and began moving in time with him almost immediately. This wasn't going to take long for either of us.

I felt my pleasure building and began clawing his back. "Harder baby…oh yeah, god you feel so good!" I moved my hands down until I could reach his gorgeous ass. I pulled him to me as we were both getting very close.

Eric was groaning as he pounded into me. I felt him swelling and knew he was there. I couldn't contain it anymore. We both screamed each other's names as we came…hard. I felt him release his seed into me and he collapsed on top of me. We were both panting, trying to catch our breath.

"God Sookie…you are amazing." He moved off of me to lie beside me and took me into his arms.

I snuggled close to him. "You're pretty amazing yourself Mr. Northman." He chuckled as our breathing calmed down. We decided a shower would be a good thing so we made our way to the bathroom.

Once we finished up there and got dressed, it was getting close to lunch time. "Eric, why don't we go out, grab a bite to eat and then do some more shopping for the baby. Would that be OK with you?"

"Sounds like a plan Sookie."

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Lunch was great! As we were on our way to the first of many shopping stops, I thought back to last night. Eric hasn't pushed me at all, but I know I need to talk to him. I decided that we would sit down tonight and I would tell him everything. I just hope he'll support what I want to do.

We stopped at a strip mall and I saw a large baby store. I got excited then! Eric parked in a space that was really close to the store. I noticed a sign that said this spot was for expecting parents. I couldn't help but giggle at that. I looked over at Eric and saw that he had a smirk on his face. He took my hand as we went inside.

When we walked in, I saw a large desk area that I discovered was where you got started on a gift registry. I looked at Eric. "Should we do one of those yet? I don't know too many people who would be buying us anything."

Eric smiled at me. "I think you'll be surprised about that Sookie. Why don't we focus on setting up the nursery today and we'll do a registry next time."

"That sounds like a good idea Eric. What would I do without you?"

"Well, you aren't going to have to find that out if I have anything to say about it." He put his arm around me and pulled me in for a light kiss. "Now, let's see what we can come up with for a nursery." We grabbed a buggy and started working our way around the store. I wanted to look at everything, whether it dealt with the nursery or not. It's really amazing how much stuff there is out there for a baby! I saw lots of things I would put on the gift registry we were talking about. When we got to the back of the store, I saw lots of furniture. I knew we were in the right place now.

It was hard to decide what I liked. Everything was so cute. I finally decided that I liked what they called the sleigh crib. Eric and I couldn't agree on the finish we wanted though. I liked the light wood, he liked the medium wood. But both of us froze when we saw the crib in a dark, cherry wood. We looked at each other and said "That's it!" at the same time. We found a changing table and storage unit that matched the crib beautifully. I couldn't decide how I wanted to decorate the room yet, so we decided to wait on that. We arranged for the furniture to be delivered later this afternoon and left. I was getting so excited now that we were actually getting things for the baby. We headed over to the mall to hit a few of the children's clothing stores. I was having the best time and I could tell Eric was too.

I had to make a pit stop at the restroom on the way in, so Eric sat on a bench to wait for me. When I came out, I saw a woman hugging on him and I saw red. I tried not to jump to any conclusions, but I headed over to them quickly. Eric had his back to me, so he didn't know I was there. I could hear what the woman was saying as I approached and didn't like it one bit. "Oh Eric, it's so good to see you. I've missed you so much. I've wanted to call you and see if we could just start over but I was afraid of your reaction. Seeing you today is just fate. Sweetie, please, let's just start over."

When I reached them I saw her leaning in to kiss him. Thank god he's as tall as he is. I noticed he wasn't encouraging her, so that helped…a little. I cleared my throat, making my presence known. Eric turned to me and I could see the contempt on his face. The woman was just glaring at me for interrupting her. Eric removed her arms from around him and moved next to me. "Excuse me, we haven't met. I'm Sookie, Eric's fiancé."

Her eyes bugged out when I said 'fiancé'. Then I saw her eyes drift down to my now prominent baby bump. Eric put one arm around my shoulders and the other on said bump. I placed my left hand over his on the bump, coincidentally showing off my engagement ring. She still hadn't spoken, so I tried again. "And you are…?"

She seemed to recover a little and finally spoke. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Sophie. I had no idea Eric was getting married." She looked very sad, but I didn't care. What she did to Eric was just evil in my book and she sure as hell wasn't getting another chance with him if I had anything to say about it.

"Yes, we're very excited about it. We're hoping to pull things together before the baby comes." I smiled and looked at Eric to see a big smile on his face too.

"Well, congratulations to you both. Oh, look at the time. I really need to be going. It was good to see you Eric. Nice meeting you Sookie." She walked off as quickly as she could.

I turned to Eric and he looked ashamed. "I'm sorry you had to see that Sookie. I had no idea she was here and she kinda ambushed me. I heard you before I had a chance to say anything to her." He looked at the floor.

I lifted his face till he was looking at me. "I figured as much Eric. I trust you, so even though I didn't know who she was, I was angry at her, not you. I should probably be sorry about the way I kinda rubbed us in her face, but I couldn't help myself."

He smiled at that, but I thought I saw a trace of concern there too. "Actually, it was pretty sexy the way you 'marked your territory' so to speak."

"What's wrong Eric?"

"Nothing, I just know Sophie. Once she gets over her shock, she could try to cause problems for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, since our relationship ended, I learned some things about her. I was glad we weren't together anymore because she can do some bad stuff when things don't go her way. Thankfully, she wanted us to be over, so she didn't bother me. She'll probably leave us alone, but if not, we'll deal with it." He kissed me lightly and I relaxed a little.

"Eric, I don't really feel like shopping anymore now. Do you think we could go home so we can talk? I want to talk about last night and I would like to go ahead and plan our wedding. I'm thinking now that the sooner we get married, the better."

His face lit up when I said that. "Sounds great to me! Let's go."

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Once we got home, I realized we needed to make sure the room we were going to use for the nursery was ready when the furniture was delivered. So we worked in there for a little while. There really wasn't much in there because I had known all along I was going to have to use that room for the baby.

We made our way back downstairs and I had to make yet another pit stop. It comes with the territory when you're pregnant I guess. When I finished and went to the living room, I found Eric on the couch with a glass of tea. I joined him and discovered he had me a glass too. He stretched his legs out and I sat between them and relaxed against his chest. He began lightly stroking my arm as I began.

"Eric, I know you were concerned about me last night. I realized a few things that may surprise you. I was more upset by my reactions to what happened than I was about the actual event."

"What do you mean Sookie?"

"Well, Alcide really isn't a bad guy. He makes a terrible drunk though. He's made attempts with me before like that when he's drunk and I laughed it off. But more importantly, I was always able to stop things before they got too bad. I guess that's why I've been able to laugh it off in the past. Last night I froze and couldn't stop him. That's not me. Something has happened to me and I don't like it. I want to get back to who I really am. I've let Bill have too much power over me for too long."

"Sookie, I heard the same thing about Alcide from pretty much everyone last night. I still don't want him around you, but I can understand someone doing things when they're drunk. Amelia stopped me from going after you and we talked for a while. She explained to me that you needed some time. I want to help you in any way I can. I love you, all of you. I've also wondered if there wasn't a sassy spitfire down in you somewhere. I see how you are with Amelia and I can just tell there's more to you. What do you need me to do?"

I took a deep breath. "Even though we are getting married – hopefully soon – meaning you will be with me more, I want to be able to defend myself if I need to. Jason taught Amelia and I both how to do that. He also taught us how to shoot a gun, and we're both really good. I've already talked to Jason about this and I'm going out to his place on Saturday afternoon to practice my shooting. It's been a while and I want to brush up on it. You're welcome to go with me if you want. I also want to buy a gun to keep here. Hopefully I'll never need to use it, but when Bill broke in; it taught me that you can't be too careful."

Eric was just looking at me as I spoke. "Sookie, I understand you wanting to be able to defend yourself. But you are pregnant; you aren't going to be able to do a lot of physical things until after you deliver. I don't know much about guns, so yeah I would like to go with you out to Jason's and learn. If you think having a gun would help you feel more secure, then I can live with it. We just have to be really careful with it."

"That is the first thing Jason taught us about – gun safety. He also stresses it all the time. Believe me, I know they are dangerous and I know how to be safe with them. It's not a decision I take lightly at all. And you're right, there's not a lot I can't do physically until I deliver, but once I do I want to take some self defense classes. Jason taught us how to fight, so I can throw a punch with the best of them, but I want to learn more than that."

"Well, I guess I was right about there being a spitfire in you," Eric laughed. He squeezed me tighter and said "OK, I was looking for a way to bring this up anyway, so here it goes. I'm cool with you learning self defense and brushing up on your shooting skills. I just hope you don't need to use them. Now, since we are getting married and we already spend so much time with each other anyway, why don't we go ahead and move in together. I would like to move in here with you Sookie, if you'll have me."

I couldn't believe he just asked that! I'd been thinking about it since he proposed, but I figured he'd think it was too soon. We could save a lot of money because we would only be keeping up one place instead of two. Eric's hardly ever at his place anymore anyway. "Eric, can you read minds or something now?" He looks a little confused. "I've been thinking about us moving in together since you proposed, but I thought you'd think it was too soon. I would love for you to move in with me! Are you sure you wouldn't rather me move in with you though?"

The smile he has lights up his whole face! "No Sookie. It makes more sense for me to move here because you already have the security system and the furniture for the nursery will be delivered here any minute. No sense moving all that when we don't have to. If you're sure, we can work a little every night moving my stuff here and I can talk to a realtor about selling my place."

I hugged him to me. He has made me so very happy. "All of that sounds great baby! So does that mean you'll be staying here full time now?" I so hope he says yes!

He got a smirk on his face and said, "If that will work for you I would very much like that. We'll go by my place after the furniture is delivered and pick up things I'll need for work, and I'll start staying here tonight!"

I kissed him hard and he chuckled into my mouth, "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Definitely – YES!!" We both laughed and then heard the doorbell. "I guess that's the furniture!"

We got up and let the deliverers in. I showed them where we want the furniture and they took it up. Once they were gone, I found myself standing in the doorway to the nursery, just looking around. Eric came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. "What are you thinking about baby?"

I sighed, "Just imagining when our little girl will be in this room. I can't wait to see her and hold her." I felt tears welling up.

"I know what you mean Sookie. I can't wait either." We stood there a few more moments before we decided to get on with our evening. "Let's head over to my place, pack up a few things and go grab a bite to eat before we come back home. Then we can plan out our wedding!"

"That sounds like a great plan Eric! Lead the way." We slid our shoes on and headed out the door.

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(Sophie)

'_What the FUCK?!' _Seeing Eric after all this time was a sign. I know it was. I know we've had some issues, but I always knew we would find our way back to each other. _'Who the hell was that bimbo?'_ I couldn't believe how my day went. When I saw Eric sitting on that bench, I knew the time was right. I had missed him. When he walked away from me the last time I saw him, I ached. I messed up. I decided that night I would find a way to get him back. I'd just bide my time till I figured he would be ready. He wasn't supposed to move on and find someone else! Now he's getting married – and she's pregnant on top of it! Well, we'll see about that. I need to learn all I can about his little bimbo so I can put a stop to this.

'_What kind of name is 'Sookie' anyway? Sounds like white trash to me.'_ Yes, I will put a stop to this one way or another.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I'm finally back! I want to apologize to everyone for the long wait for a new chapter. I've gone back to work now and was assigned to a hew position to boot. I've been VERY busy getting a grip on everything there. I hope you like the chapter. No ESN, but there is some coming in the next chapter (which I am working on.)! Please forgive me if updates take longer than they used to.**

**As always…I own no one. They are all CH's and AB's!**

Chapter 15:

We made it back home pretty quickly. Eric decided to pack as many of his clothes as he could while I worked on his toiletries. I figured I could get boxes from the book store and Eric was going to look for some too. Apparently he'd already thought all of this through and decided that most of his stuff could be stored until we got a bigger place. He had even packed some of things he planned to bring with him already, which caused me to raise my eyebrows at him. He just grinned and kept grabbing clothes.

We decided to grab some food before we went back home. He suggested a deli and I thought that sounded pretty good. The place he took me to was pretty deserted for a weekend, but then I noticed it was getting kind of late. We were waiting for our food when I noticed Eric was lost in his thoughts.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He looked at me and gave a small smile.

"Oh – nothing much." He paused. "I was just thinking about how happy I am." His smile grew bigger, but I could tell there was more on his mind. I decided to call him on it.

"Bullshit."

He looked shocked. "Excuse me?!"

"I said bullshit Eric. I can tell there's more going through your head because you looked worried before I said anything. What's up?" I was holding his hand by the time I finished.

He let out a sigh. "You are beginning to know me a little too well Sookie." He grinned, but it faded quickly. "I don't want to upset you; it's just something Amelia said to me last night…about your past."

'_Oh CRAP! Amelia – I'm gonna kill you if this is what I think it is!'_ I didn't think I was ready to tell Eric about this, but if she'd already alerted him to it, then I'd have to. I didn't think he would push me about it if I chose not to tell him, but he'd always wonder. _'Yep, might as well get it over with Sookie. It is the PAST anyway.'_

"What did she say?"

He took a deep breath. "After you ran out of the house, I tried to go after you, but Amelia stopped me. I got angry, but she stood her ground. We talked for a while after she stopped me, but when I asked her about one of her comments, she said you needed to be the one to tell me. She'd said that you've gone through more than I know, going back to when you were a little girl. Sookie, I won't push you, but you know you can tell me anything, right?"

I took the deep breath this time. "Yes Eric, I trust you completely, this just hadn't come up. Amelia is talking about what our Uncle Bartlett did to me." I looked around the restaurant before continuing. If it hadn't been so deserted, I would've waited. I was kind of glad I could get it over with though. "He molested me every chance he got for a couple of years. He'd scared me into keeping quiet by saying something really bad would happen to my family if I told anyone."

Eric was caressing my hand as I told him my story. Before he could say anything, our food was brought out. Once we were alone again, he looked at me, his eyes so full of concern.

"What made him stop Sookie?"

"Gran; well Jason and Gran, thanks to Amelia." He looked confused so I continued. "The last time I saw him, he was doing what he usually did, but I'd had enough. Then I started screaming as loud as I could because I could tell he was going much further than he ever had before. I got really scared and tried to fight back. He smacked me and reminded me of his threat of something bad happening. But this time he added that Amelia was starting to be really pretty and soon he would have both of us if I didn't shut up and let him do what he wanted to do. I wanted to protect Amelia from him, so I didn't make a sound. I just cried, knowing he was going to rape me. He never did though."

I took a very deep breath and drank some of my tea before continuing. "See, I didn't realize that Amelia had heard my screams. She saw what he was doing to me and ran to get help. She found Jason first and told him Uncle Bartlett was hurting me. Jason told her to go find Gran and he would help me. Jason burst into the room just as he was about to rape me. He ran over to us and jerked him off of me. He started beating the tar out of him then. I'd never seen him so angry. Gran came in with Amelia behind her. She told Jason to stop, which he did. Uncle Bartlett was trying to hide what he was doing, but it was pretty obvious. She took one look at me and she told her brother to leave and never come back. She told him if she ever saw him again, she would turn him over to the police. He left town after that and we never heard from him again."

"Why didn't she call the police on him immediately?"

"She didn't want to put me through any more than I'd already been through." He nodded that he understood.

I couldn't believe I was able to tell that story without crying…finally! Every time I'd thought about it before, I turned into a basket case. This was very new to me – it was almost as if sharing my pain with Eric finally gave me the relief I'd been searching for all this time.

Neither one of us had touched our food. Eric slid closer to me and took me in his arms. Still no tears – just sweet relief. This was my safe spot. In Eric's arms, I knew no one could hurt me. He called our waiter over and told him we would need to go boxes. I was so glad…I wanted to go home. As we waited, I looked up at him and saw so much love for me in his eyes.

"Sookie, thank you for sharing your pain with me. I hate that you had to go through something that horrible. Now I can understand why Jason is the way he is about you and Amelia."

I laughed a little. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm protective of Pam – I'd truly hurt anyone who even tried to hurt her, but the way Jason gets about the 2 of you – especially you Sookie – he scares even me. The guy becomes a rabid animal. I think the **only** reason he was OK with us dating when we first started was he'd had a chance to get to know me pretty well before I even met you. Course Amelia and Pam had probably talked his ears off about us being good for each other." He was smiling now and I loved how he'd managed to get us away from the earlier conversation.

"Yeah, they had some pretty definite ideas didn't they? The only bad part is having to admit our little sisters were _right_ huh?!"

Eric let out a booming laugh as we got our boxes and packed up our food. "Let's put off telling them that as long as we possibly can. We'll never hear the end of it!"

I had to agree with him on that one.

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(Eric)

The month was moving pretty quickly. Sookie seemed like a weight had been lifted off of her since our talk about her uncle. She is truly the strongest woman I've ever met. The baby was doing well and we were at 24 weeks now. Sookie looked so radiant. There really is a glow to a woman who's carrying a new life inside her that just can't be explained.

I had been really busy at work and had a hard time finding boxes to finish packing up my things so we could get my place sold. Sookie had been bringing a couple of boxes from work every week, but all of the sudden she was bringing several boxes everyday she worked. I asked her how she was getting so many of them all of the sudden and she told me that the kids of the people who owned the bookstore had moved back to town and they'd been saving them for her as they unpacked. She also informed me that we both had been invited to their house for a 'Welcome Home' dinner for them. I was floored when Sookie told me who these 'kids' were – John and Franny Quinn! I'd known Quinn (as John liked to be called) forever! We were best friends growing up. It really is a small world.

Sookie picked up on my excitement and was curious. "Do you know the Quinn's or something Eric?"

"Yes! Very well in fact. Quinn – or John rather – was my best friend growing up. We drifted apart when he moved away. I'm so glad they're back."

Sookie smiled at me as we heard the phone ring. I went to answer it. "Hello"

"Is this Sookie Stackhouse's residence?" It was a male voice – vaguely familiar to me though.

"Yes, may I help you? I'm her fiancé."

"Eric!? Is that you?"

"Yes…"

"Hey man – it's Quinn! I couldn't believe it when I heard you're the guy Sookie's going to marry. Congratulations!"

"Quinn! Sookie just told me about Friday night – we'll be there! It's been a while. What are you doing now man?"

"Well, I've been helping Franny get her business up and running, but once we get settled here, I'm planning on starting my own thing. You know how I was always into security and shit? Well, my plan is to start my own security firm. How bout you…still a lawyer?"

"Yeah, still a lawyer. That new business of yours sounds great, let me know when you get it going. How's Franny doing?

"Annoying as ever! Nah, she's doing great for herself actually. She's a wedding coordinator and she's really great at it."

"I'll be sure to mention her to Sookie in that case – maybe she can help us out."

"That'd be great! Listen, I gotta run, but I'm glad you're coming Friday! We'll catch up more then OK."

"Sounds like a plan!"

"Who are you suppose to mention to me?" I heard Sookie ask as I hung up the phone.

"That was Quinn. We were catching up a bit and he mentioned that Franny is a wedding coordinator now. I thought she might be able to help us out."

"Yeah, I've actually talked with her a little already. I didn't want to make anything official until I talked to you though."

"Well, why don't we spend the rest of the evening making some decisions about our wedding and you can talk to Franny tomorrow about helping us officially." I took her into my arms as I said this and we made our way to the couch.

For the next hour or so, we made our wedding plans. Thankfully, we both wanted a small wedding, just family and close friends. I was so happy she didn't want the big white wedding. I would have done it for her, but I was really glad I didn't have to. We decided that we didn't want to wait any longer so she would see if Franny could pull it together in 3 weeks. I was so happy we had finally made some definite plans and moving our wedding forward.

"Well, I think we have made a lot of progress tonight Mrs. Northman. What do you think?"

"I think I can't wait till that really is my name." Sookie was wrapping her arms around my neck as she said that and she was pulling me to her. I felt her lips on mine and I responded immediately. When I felt her tongue slip into my mouth, I couldn't stop the moan that escaped. Just as things were starting to heat up, I heard the phone ringing again. We broke the kiss and I reached for the phone since I was closer.

"Hello," I was trying to control my breathing as I said it.

"May I ask whose calling?"

"Detective Andy Bellfleur, I've been handling the William Compton case."

"I'm Eric Northman, her fiancé, may I help you?" I didn't want Sookie dealing with this unless she absolutely had to.

"Yes, I've seen your name in the file. It might be better if she hears this from you. Mr. Compton's new attorney filed a motion for him to be released based on his good behavior while in custody. The judge the case was given to, agreed to him being released, but put under house arrest for the remainder of his sentence. Then he will serve out the probationary period as the original deal states. He will be released in the morning."

"What does 'house arrest' entail?" I have to know all the details. Thank god Sookie went to the bathroom and can't hear my end of this conversation.

"He will wear a device on his ankle that allows the authorities to track him. He will be allowed to go to church, if he goes; work if he has a job, but he will be confined to his house the great majority of the time. Did you and Ms. Stackhouse get the restraining orders as were suggested?"

"Yes, we did that immediately after the incident."

"Good, if he happens to find a way to come there, or if he contacts you in any way, let us know. Part of the deal was he is to have no contact with Ms. Stackhouse."

"We will. Thank you for calling Detective." I hung up as Sookie came back in the room.

"Who was that baby?"

I took a deep breath…this was not going to be good.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Wow! I managed to get another chapter done quicker than I thought I would. Thanks as always to my totally awesome beta Sunkisz! I hope everyone likes the chapter. **

**As usual, I own nothing...I'm just borrowing these guys for a while!**

Chapter 16:

(Sookie)

Eric looked like he was about to tell me something I really didn't want to hear.

"That was Detective Bellfleur. He was calling to let us know the latest with Bill's case."

"What's going on? I thought all of that had been handled."

"Apparently, Bill has gotten a new attorney and to make a long story short, he's being released to house arrest tomorrow." Eric was beside me now, rubbing my arms.

I took a deep breath. Panicking would not do me any good at this point, so I refused to do it. "What does house arrest mean?"

"He will have to wear a monitor that is also a tracking device. He will only be allowed to leave his house for very few reasons. He will have no choice but to stay at his house the majority of the time."

Ok, this didn't sound too bad. As long as he couldn't come near me or my family, I didn't really care where Bill was. I have to admit though; it did make me feel a little better knowing he was behind bars. Eric seemed to know this because he took me in his arms – my safe spot. I let out a sigh and melted against him.

"I will keep you and our little girl safe Sookie."

I tightened my grip on him. "I know you will Eric. I do think it's time I called Jason though." Eric nodded that he understood.

We'd gone out to Jason's a couple of times to practice shooting. Eric was actually pretty good and it turned out that I remembered more than I thought I would. I reached over and picked up the phone. Jason answered on the 2nd ring.

"Hello?"

"Jason, it's me. I hope I didn't wake you up. I need to ask you something."

"Nah, I'm awake Sook – what's up?"

"Do you still have my gun Jason?"

There was a moment of silence before I heard Jason respond. "Yeah…of course I do. What's going on Sookie?"

"We just got a call from Detective Bellfleur and he told us that Bill is being released tomorrow to house arrest."

"I'll be there in 20 minutes Sookie."

"Jason's on the way – he'll be here in about 20 minutes," I informed Eric as I hung up.

"Are you OK Sookie?"

"Yeah, I mean I felt better knowing he was in prison, but he still can't come near us while he's under house arrest, plus we have the restraining order. I would like to have the added protection though – just in case he really has gone completely crazy." Eric nodded again.

"I understand Sookie. I mean I was here and didn't stop him from hurting you the last time." He hung his head and I knew he was still dealing with a lot of guilt over that incident. I just didn't understand why.

I cupped his face in my hands and lifted until he was looking at me. "Baby, I know you still feel guilty about that, but I wish you wouldn't. I never thought he would actually break in here. We are much better prepared now with the security system in place. Most of all, we won't be underestimating him again."

Eric let out a sigh as I continued, "I know you want to protect me, and you DID! You kept that situation from being a whole lot worse. This is why I want the gun now and why I'll be brushing up on self-defense as soon as I can. As much as we both would love it, you can't be with me 24/7." I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him for all I was worth. "I love you baby."

I saw a new determination in his eyes as he kissed me back. "I love you too, Sookie. I won't let anything happen to you. Bill has already proven to me that he's crazy. I know you may not like this idea Sookie, but I have to know you're safe or I won't be able to function, let alone work. I'm going to call Quinn and get his help."

(Eric)

Sookie looked confused when I told her I was going to call Quinn. "What can Quinn do?"

I chuckled. "Quinn is extremely good with security issues. His knowledge is unsurpassed. He told me that he is planning on starting his own business soon and if I know him, it will include bodyguard services. I would feel much better if he is with you when I can't be – at least for a while."

I could tell Sookie really didn't like this idea and was about to put up one hell of a fight. I had to stop her before she got started. "Please baby – do this for me. I can't handle it if something happens to you."

She softened a little with those words. "Won't that be really expensive though?"

I smiled and kissed her nose. "Sookie, money is not a problem. I know we haven't really covered this yet, and apparently Amelia and Pam have failed to tell you as well, but trust me when I tell you that I can afford it." Sookie's eyes got big but I knew that was a topic for a later time. I needed her to agree to this now.

I saw the fight go out of her when I reminded her that she had to keep our baby girl safe too. As independent as Sookie is, she won't take chances with the baby. She took a deep breath, "Alright Eric, call Quinn."

I hugged her close to me and whispered, "Thank you my love," in her ear. Then we heard someone at the door. I let Jason in and left him with Sookie as I went to make my call. I searched through the caller ID till I found the number that had to be Quinn's. He answered on the 3rd ring.

"Quinn."

"It's Eric. Have you got a minute? I need a big favor."

"Sure man – what's up?"

"Your security business…will you be offering bodyguard services as well?"

"Yeah, I'm planning to – why? Is something wrong? It's not Pam is it?"

"Yes, there is something wrong, and no, it's not Pam. If you're willing to start now, I want to hire you to guard Sookie. Her ex-husband is being moved from prison to house arrest tomorrow and I have to know she's safe Quinn. You're the only one I trust to take care of her when I can't."

"No problem Eric. I understand completely man – I like her already and wouldn't want to see her hurt. I think she's working tomorrow. What time do you leave for work?"

"Between 7:30 and 8:00 usually."

"Give me your address and I'll be there around 7:00 so y'all can fill me in on the details. One question – I take it this guy has already hurt her before – is he just mean or is he crazy?"

"Crazy Quinn – it's bad."

"Then if you'll allow me to, I want to call the guys who will be working with me when we get the business going. Their names are Jake and Rasul. I think it would be a good idea to have extra eyes on this guy from the moment he's released. What's his name?"

"That sounds fine to me Quinn. Do whatever you need to do to keep my family safe. His name is William Compton – he goes by Bill."

"OK – I'm gonna go ahead and call them and I'll see you in the morning."

"Thanks Quinn." I gave him our address and we hung up. I think I will need to bring up finding a larger house to Sookie soon; one that could have better security than here. I will think on this more later. I headed back to the living room and found Jason still there. I went over and sat beside Sookie on the couch, wrapping my arms around her as I did.

"How did it go baby?"

"He agreed and will be here in the morning." I knew she still wasn't happy about this.

"Hey man – Sook filled me in on what's going on and for what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing." He glared at Sookie – they must've had some words about this too. I just nodded at him.

"I better be going. See y'all soon." Jason let himself out after hugging Sookie.

"Are you ok love?"

"Yes, I just hate having to do this. At least it's someone we know and you trust. I'm sure I will too after I get to know him better."

I chuckled. "Believe me Sookie – since he can't have you for himself, you'll become like a little sister to Quinn before you know it. That's how he is with Pam and I am with Franny and Amelia. He'll probably feel that way about Amelia too, once he gets to know her. Hey – what do you think about having everyone over for dinner next weekend, so they can get to know each other?"

Sookie perked up at that. "I would love it Eric! It would be our first party!"

We decided it was time for bed. I knew Sookie was worn out. I went to and locked the door and set the alarm. I swept her up in my arms and carried her to our room. As we crawled into bed, she snuggled up to me. I hoped that between the wedding and the party, not to mention the baby, that she'd have enough positive things to keep her from worrying about Compton.

88888888888888888888888888888

(Sookie)

I usually sleep in a little after Eric leaves for work, but since Quinn was coming this morning, I figured I better get on up. I really with Eric didn't feel it was necessary to hire a bodyguard for me. But, after sleeping on it, I decided not to give him a hard time about it. Maybe I am growing up a little. Plus, Jason said some things that made me see the realities of the situation.

(Flashback)

_I filled Jason in while Eric called Quinn. I was pretty perturbed about Eric wanting to hire a bodyguard – I mean come on! I truly didn't expect Jason's reaction._

"_Sookie – shut up and let him do what he needs to do to protect you and that baby girl growing inside you!" I was floored!_

"_Jason…" He cut me off!_

"_NO Sookie. You can't handle this all on your own. Bill is crazy and you're pregnant! You have to be careful for the baby's sake Sook! You can't go out and learn all kinds of self-defense stuff, not yet! Let Eric do this. Do you now understand how much guilt he's carrying around after the last time Bill hurt you?"_

"_But he stopped Bill – Why would he still be feeling so guilty?"_

_Jason just shook his head. "Because he wasn't able to stop him from hurting you at all. He was here and couldn't stop it. Before you accuse me, no I'm not blaming Eric for what happened to you. The blame for that lies with Bill. I'm trying to explain how Eric must be feeling about all of this."_

_I hated to admit it, but Jason did make sense. I'd seen the guilt all over his face earlier but didn't understand it. Now it made sense._

As I was finishing with my hair I heard the doorbell. I headed downstairs and found Eric and Quinn in the kitchen. Eric had made coffee.

"Good Morning Quinn," I said as I went over to Eric and hugged him. He kissed me lightly before we looked at Quinn.

"Hey Sookie, how are you feeling?"

"Ok I guess." We all sat down at the table and I found that Eric had made some breakfast. He had been busy this morning.

"Were you able to get everything set up that we discussed last night?" Eric was in 'business mode' right now.

"Yes, I got in touch with Jake and Rasul. They're going to trade shifts, keeping an eye on Bill. They went ahead and set up surveillance cameras all around his property last night. We'll know if he's planning anything."

I felt Eric squeeze my hand. He knew I was battling myself on all of this. I looked at him and smiled. "Sookie, my theory is the best offense is a good defense. He caught us off guard once – I won't make that mistake again." I nodded my head at him and turned to Quinn.

"Thank you for all your help with this mess Quinn." Quinn grinned at me.

"No problem Sookie – now, why don't you two give me some of the details."

I let Eric handle most of that, chiming in when I needed to. When he finished, Quinn filled both of us in on his plans.

"OK, having these details now, I think we should do more than we are already doing. Now that he has come here once, I think he would assume that you had a security system installed. He will, if he hasn't already, learn all he can about getting around it. I think I should install a few things here myself. If he gets around the original system, he won't know to look for mine."

Eric nodded his agreement and I figured some extra stuff couldn't hurt.

Quinn continued. "I'm also wondering if he has someone on the outside helping him now. This release came about very quickly in my opinion. That's one reason I've got Jake and Rasul working on him. We found his address last night and they went over to set up cameras before he was released. We will be able to keep a close eye on him. I didn't go because I'll be guarding Sookie personally and I didn't want any neighbors to possibly see me and tip him off."

His next statements were directed to me. "Sookie, I know you feel really weird about all of this. Believe me; Eric has done the right thing by hiring me to help. It will give him peace of mind so he can work, and it will keep you safe. I figured it would look less like you're being 'guarded' if I'm the one to do it. You work for my family and are marrying my best friend. Anyone who might look into my past won't find anything. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better since you're going to marry Eric." He smiled at that and I felt a little better. Everything he said made sense and I liked the idea of getting to know him better. The only person I know from Eric's world is Pam. This is going to be fine.

It was time for Eric to leave for work. I walked him to the door and kissed him as he took me in his arms. No matter what steps we take, I'll never feel as safe as I do in his arms. He held me for a moment and looked over my head at Quinn.

"I'm putting my life in your hands Quinn. Please take care of my girls." I squeezed him tight.

"No worries man. You know I will guard them with my life, but it's not going to come anywhere near that!" He added the last part quickly and I figured for my benefit.

He nodded and bent to kiss me again. "I love you Sookie." He was rubbing my baby bump and added, "you too baby girl."

"We love you too Daddy." He smiled and squeezed me one more time before he made himself leave. I felt an overwhelming feeling of loss as I shut the door. I turned to Quinn.

"So, how does this work Quinn? Are you like my shadow now?"

He let out a booming laugh, which actually made me feel better. "That's a pretty good description Sookie. Yes, where you go, I go – when Eric's not around."

I took a deep breath to settle myself down. _'Remember, this makes Eric feel better about leaving so just shut up and go with it.'_ I looked at Quinn and saw a look of concern but with a little amusement there too. Yes – he and Eric were similar – I could easily see them being best friends.

"Sookie, I know you aren't crazy about having a bodyguard around. I promise I will give you as much privacy as I can – ok?"

"It's ok Quinn. No, I'm not crazy about it, but I know it makes things easier on Eric, so I'll go along. I don't want him worrying more than he already is. I think if I fought him on this, he'd quit his job so he wouldn't have to leave us alone." I was rubbing my baby bump now.

"Quinn laughed again. "You might be right about that Sookie. Tell you what; you aren't due in at the store for a while. Why don't we relax and get to know each other? I'm very curious about the woman who's stolen my friend's heart."

So that's how we spent the next couple of hours. I was laughing hard and was feeling very comfortable with Quinn. I could see how these two men were so close. They had very similar personalities. Quinn had shared some hilarious stories about Eric when they were growing up.

Quinn's cell phone rang and I could almost see him transform into business mode as he listened to whoever was talking. He did not look happy! "Send me a picture now – I might know who this person is."

My phone rang then. "Hello?"

"Sookie – is everything OK?"

"Eric, I'm not really sure. Quinn just got a call and he's really not happy about something. He's waiting for a picture to be sent to him."

"SHIT!" Quinn wasn't happy at all. "Sookie, is that Eric?"

"Yes…"

"I need to speak with him right now." He came over and took my phone.

"Eric – we just found out who's helping Bill." He took a deep breath. "You aren't going to like it man."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I's so sorry this has taken a while. I am almost half way through the next chapter already though, so the next update shouldn't take as long. **

**I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, sent pms, and/or added my story to their alerts. All of them mean so very much to me! **

**As always, I don't own these guys, they are the sole property of CH and AB! On with the story....**

Chapter 17:

(Eric)

"Who is it Quinn?"

"It's Sophie, Eric."

I took a deep breath. _'Figures.'_ I knew she would cause problems, but this was going too far.

"I'm not surprised that she's trying to cause problems, but I am a little surprised she'd go this far. Have you been able to find out any of their plans yet?"

"No, not yet man. I should be getting transcripts later, so there should be some stuff there. Why would she be doing this Eric?" Quinn knew Sophie from our time together and he also knew why things ended.

"We bumped into her at the mall recently. She was blabbering about us getting back together until Sookie walked up. Sookie handled her well and made sure to let her know we are engaged. And as you know, it's pretty obvious at this point that Sookie's pregnant. I figured Sophie would try to cause some problems after that. I'm guessing she found out about Bill and decided that would be the easiest way to get Sookie out of the way."

Quinn took a deep breath. "I always knew she was crazy. Don't worry man, me knowing a little about her will only help us. Nothing is going to happen to you or to Sookie. I will make sure of that!"

"Thanks Quinn. I'm going to owe you big for all of this."

"Nonsense! You'd do the same for me."

"In a heartbeat. I need to go. Put Sookie back on for a minute."

(Sookie)

'_Sophie!'_ I knew I surprised her when we bumped into her, but to go to these extremes just because she couldn't have Eric…what's wrong with her?! _'Great – now we BOTH have a crazy ex.'_

I was deep in my own thoughts when I noticed Quinn was trying to give me the phone. "He wants to speak to you again, babe."

"Eric…?"

"Sookie, please try not to worry. Quinn and his men can handle this OK.

"I'll try Eric. Why would she help Bill though? Is she crazy?"

"Pretty much. Just please stay close to Quinn when you aren't with me alright."

"I will. I'm too freaked out about all of this to fight you anyway."

"I love you Sookie."

"I love you too baby. See you tonight." We hung up.

The rest of the day was pretty normal. I went to work with Quinn by my side. Things were really slow, so when Frannie came in, we were able to sit down and get going on the wedding plans. All of the events from last night, thru this morning affected me more than I had realized.

"Frannie, I've changed my mind. I want to get married ASAP! This weekend would be terrific. Is that doable?"

Frannie was floored. "Uh…yeah, if you don't mind a small wedding."

"I don't mind at all. I just want to be Sookie Northman and soon! That will happen no matter how big or small the wedding is."

Quinn looked at me like he thought I had a great idea. "Will this be a problem Quinn?"

"Nope – in fact, I was thinking that the sooner you become Mrs. Eric Northman, the faster Sophie should back off."

Frannie was confused now. "Sophie? You mean Eric's ex – Sophie? What the hell does she have to do with anything?"

"She's trying to cause some problems, but we're on top of it."

She turned to me. "Well, today is Wednesday. We have a lot of work to do!" By the time I reached the end of my shift we had the wedding set. I called all the guests I knew of and after talking to Eric, he said he would call a few people he hoped would be there. He was so very excited when I told him about my change of plans. We decided to go to the courthouse and get the license tomorrow during his lunch break.

Friday's night dinner with Frannie and Quinn's family had turned into our rehearsal dinner. Their family wanted to do it for Eric since he and Pam had no family left. Pam insisted on helping prepare the food though, and they happily accepted. We also moved it from their home to the 'community center' in our neighborhood, where Pam and Amelia had arranged for us to have the ceremony. We decided since it was going to be a relatively small group that we would forgo the usual reception and go to a restaurant for dinner afterwards. Pam arranged for us to have a private dining room at her restaurant for the night. Frannie handled everything else.

Eric, Pam, Amelia, Jason, Quinn, and I were all going shopping this evening to get clothes for the event. Amelia was my maid of honor and Pam a bridesmaid. Quinn was Eric's best man and after walking me down the aisle, Jason would join them. Quinn also decided to have his men to come handle security so he could focus on Eric. Frannie would be with me and the girls when the men couldn't be. Quinn did wish he could find one other woman to be with us in case Frannie had to run off to handle some emergency. I guessed Frannie was good at security as well and I was right.

I felt so much better about everything that I was actually relaxed as Quinn drove to our house. Eric would be home soon and in only 3 more days I would finally be Sookie Northman! I couldn't help but grin at that thought when I felt the baby kicking. She must've agreed with me.

When we got home, I was really tired. Quinn got comfortable in the chair with his laptop while I curled up on the couch. I thought I'd watch a little TV, but I was asleep before I could even turn it on.

I woke up after what turned out to be a couple of hours later. I stretched and couldn't believe I'd slept that long. I heard voices in the kitchen, so after I took care of my immediate needs, I headed that way.

My kitchen was full. Eric, Quinn, Jason, Amelia, and Pam were all crowded in there. Eric came and wrapped me in his arms when he saw I'd finally joined them.

"So, what are y'all up to?" I asked as Eric took his seat and pulled me to his lap.

Eric answered first. "Quinn received the transcripts from his men. He was filling us in on the latest."

"Ok, what's going on?"

Quinn took over. "Well, we are dealing with people who are basically trying to throw a temper tantrum because they aren't getting their way." Everyone snickered at that, Quinn continued. "Apparently, Sophie has gotten it in her head that she can use Bill to come between you and Eric. She doesn't know that Eric already knows Bill is the baby's biological father. Bill is afraid to tell her because she is giving him the help he needs. Her plan – at least for now – appears to be for Eric to 'find out' about the baby. Of course she will be the one to tell him so when he's 'devastated' she can be there for him to turn to for comfort."

Everyone was laughing now. "So where does Bill fit into this plan of hers? I mean why get him out?"

"Well, she wants to be sure you can't convince Eric to 'forgive' you. She plans to help Bill lose his tracking device and then take you away from here." I got worried when I heard that part of the plan. Eric felt me tense and Jason saw it.

"Sook, you know good and well that none of us are going to let that happen. That creep won't get anywhere near you. We're all going to be together a lot the rest of the week getting ready for your wedding and its Quinn's job to take care of you when we aren't around." Jason was holding my hand. "I mean he's like a James Bond, super guard or something!"

We all chuckled and Eric squeezed me as I relaxed into him.

Amelia spoke up next. "Ok, now that we know Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum's plans how bout we get out of here! I'm starving and ready to do some shopping!"

We all agreed and started filing out of the kitchen. Eric hung back a moment and pulled me to him once we were alone. "I haven't given you a proper 'hello' yet my love." He bent down as I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing his lips to mine. I had missed him so much. I thought this would be quick, since we had a house full of people waiting on us, but that thought was thrown out of my mind when I felt Eric tighten his grip on me and lift me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and let out a moan when I felt his tongue gaining access to my mouth. We deepened the kiss as our passion for each other was threatening to take over.

He turned and sat me on the counter and pushed the growing bulge in his pants against my rapidly soaking center. He had begun kissing my neck, and his hand made its way under my shirt, to cup my breast. We both moaned, so full of want and need that we didn't hear anyone else in the kitchen. Just as we attacked each other's mouths again, we heard a throat clearing.

Eric bent his head to my shoulder and whispered, "Fuck," as I looked over his shoulder to see Pam standing there with her arms crossed. She was trying to look ticked off, but she had the biggest 'evil' grin I've ever seen, so I knew she was finding the situation hilarious.

"Do you think you two can keep your hands off each other long enough to join your family as we get ready for YOUR wedding?" She was actually tapping her foot at us. I couldn't help but giggle as I felt my face starting to flush. I buried my face into Eric's chest and felt it rumble when he told her to give us a moment.

Once she'd left the kitchen, we both busted out laughing. Eric managed to settle himself down before promising we would be picking this up again later in the evening. I laughed and whole heartedly agreed with him as he helped me off the counter and we joined hands to head out with our family.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I can't believe I got another chapter ready so soon. I hope everyone likes this chapter. Not really dealing with Bill and Sophie...yet. That's coming though! This chapter includes a belated birthday gift for APearle who has helped me out tremendously! **

**I don't own these characters...just messing around with them!**

Chapter 18:

We all decided to go see Sam and Tara. I hadn't been able to get in touch with them earlier today so we wanted to make sure they knew about Saturday too. We made it to Merlotte's around 6:30 and had a great meal. Sam and Tara were both very excited about Saturday and promised they would be there.

While we were there, the baby must've woken up and decided that she liked the music. Amelia and Pam were beside themselves when they felt her kick and Jason actually teared up a little. Eric just beamed as he rested his large hand on the baby bump.

We made it to the mall around 8:30, so we only had about an hour and a half to get everything done. The girls went one way to look for dresses, while the guys went the other to decide what they'd wear.

Amelia, Pam, and I got really lucky! We found a dress that looked great on both of them and they would be able to wear it again, unlike the typical bridesmaid dress. My mouth literally dropped open when I found my dress. It was ivory with a little detailing, but nothing too ornate. When I tried it on, Amelia teared up and told me I was stunning. We made our way over to find shoes and accessories for all of us. Pam even found a baby blue garter for me to wear and that would cover my "something blue." Then we all panicked and realized we needed to make sure I was covered on the rest!

"**Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue,"** Amelia rattled off the phrase every girl learns by the time she's 10. We had my something blue covered. I figured the dress would cover the something new, but I had no idea about the other 2. I couldn't believe I'd forgotten about this!

Amelia spoke again. "Sookie, I think it's time I filled you in on a little something. I have Gran's diamond pendant necklace that Grandpa gave her on their 50th anniversary. I've been holding it for you. She wanted you to have it, but Jason and I didn't want Bill getting his hands on it, so I've been saving it for you. I think it would be perfect for you to wear on Saturday. It will be gorgeous with your dress and it will cover 'something old'." I felt tears fighting to break through and slide down my face as I hugged my little sister.

"Thank you Amelia. That will mean everything to me. It will feel like Gran's there." We were both crying when Pam decided to keep laying it on.

"Sookie, I have a pair of my mother's earrings that would be wonderful for Saturday. Eric will recognize them the moment he sees them. I think our mom would be proud and happy to know the woman who makes Eric so happy wore them on their big day. Please consider them your 'something borrowed'."

The tears kept flowing as both of my sisters hugged me. I thanked Pam from the bottom of my heart

Once we made our purchases, we started looking for the guys. As we were walking along, I noticed a kiosk advertising self-defense classes. When we got closer I realized it was a new gym opening up. I asked the girls to stop for a minute because I wanted to get some more information. I wasn't expecting to see the woman who was handing out the flyers though.

"Pearl?!" The woman turned and I saw a huge smile spread across her face.

"Sookie?! How have you been?" She ran around and hugged me before I could answer.

"I'm doing great, how bout you?"

Her eyes had dropped to the baby bump. "I can see you're doing well. When are you due?"

"I've got about 3 months left." She noticed my ring as I was rubbing the bump and squealed.

"Oh my god, Sookie – you're getting married too?! Who's the lucky man?"

"That would be me." I heard a deep voice from behind, as I felt his arms go around me. "I'm Eric – and you are?"

"Pearl." They shook hands. "Well Eric, I hope you know how lucky you are. Sookie's a great girl!"

He squeezed me as he said, "Oh believe me, I know exactly how lucky I am Pearl. How do you and Sookie know each other?"

We both giggled as she answered him. "We've known each other forever! We grew up together, but it's been a while. I've recently moved back to the area and I was hoping Sookie was still around."

I knew it was getting close to closing time, but I wanted to make plans to see Pearl again so we could catch up. "Pearl, you and I need to get together SOON so we can catch up. Are you free for lunch tomorrow?"

"I am actually! Tonight is the last night using this kiosk. I'm opening my own gym and one of the first classes I will be teaching myself is self-defense." She handed me a flyer.

"Yes, I want to talk to you about this for sure." I could tell she knew something was up, but she let it go. We exchanged phones so we could put our contact info in.

When we switched them back, she gave me a hug and whispered, "Are you OK Sookie?" I whispered back to her, "I am now that I'm with Eric. I'll fill you in tomorrow." I figured it'd be easier for her to just come over to my place since Quinn would be with us. We'd get more privacy that way because he could be in another room. We agreed on 11:30 and we parted ways.

Eric and I decided to get our rings tomorrow night when we were alone. After a little while, Jason and Quinn caught up to us. Jason was holding his side, he was laughing so hard, while Quinn looked a little shell-shocked. "What's going on guys?" Eric asked.

Jason decided to answer. I was beginning to wonder if Quinn was ok or not. "We were trying to find y'all when Quinn bumped into this really hot chick and literally knocked her down. He was trying to help her up and apologize, but when he laid eyes on her, he couldn't put 2 coherent words together. It was really funny to see Mr. Big and Bad here taken down by a little blonde." He slapped Quinn on the shoulder as we all began making our way to the exit.

Eric and I hung back so he could talk to Quinn. He wasn't letting me go though. "Ok man – are you alright?" Quinn still looked shocked.

"Eric, nothing like that has ever happened to me before. I don't know what to make of it."

"Now you've got me a little concerned. What happened?"

"Well, Jason described it pretty well. I knocked her down and couldn't say anything as I was helping her up. What Jason didn't know was the reason and I wasn't ready to share that reason."

"You don't have to tell me…"

"No, I needed to talk to you about this, not Jason. I would like Sookie's advice too." I nodded as Eric motioned for him to continue. "Well, I was embarrassed enough about knocking her down first of all, but when she took my hands to get up, I felt a shock shoot through my body. I don't know if she felt something or not, but what Jason didn't see was her trip as she got up and fall forward into my arms. Man, when I looked into those eyes – I don't know – I felt like I was home. This makes no sense does it?"

Eric smiled at me before he answered Quinn. "It makes perfect sense Quinn. You just described exactly what happened to me when I met Sookie." Quinn looked even more shocked when Eric said that.

I couldn't help but smile. "Did you happen to get her name Quinn?"

He looked upset now. "No – all I managed to get out was 'Sorry' and I bolted!"

"Well, then I think you should try to find her again – maybe come back here tomorrow night. I'd be willing to bet she felt something too and that's why she tripped. I felt what Eric was telling you about."

"I don't know…I'll probably never see her again." He actually looked sad.

"No, I don't think that will be the case old friend. Things like this don't just happen for no reason. I'd be willing to bet you see her again, and probably soon."

Quinn just nodded but he thanked us. Everyone said our good nights and we headed home. I couldn't wait to get Eric all to myself!

On the way, I guess Eric decided to ask his questions so we wouldn't be bothered with them once we got home. "So, tell me about Pearl."

"Well, we've known each other since we were kids. We were always very close. The two of us, along with Tara, were known as the Three Musketeers. We were practically inseparable. We both went through some rough times together and became even closer because of it. I'm so glad she's back in the area and opening her own gym."

"You're thinking about taking her self defense class aren't you?

"Yes, I am going to talk to her about it tomorrow. Before you say anything, I know I can't do much right now, but even if I can go watch until I deliver, I think it would help. It would make me feel better anyway."

He took my hand and kissed it. "Then talk to her tomorrow and see what can be arranged."

I leaned my head on his shoulder and whispered, "Thank you."

We rode the rest of the way in a comfortable silence.

When we got home and Eric made sure we were all locked up and secure, he pulled me to him so fast, I didn't know what hit me. He crushed his lips into mine and I could feel all of his hunger for me. I couldn't help but to respond to his attentions. When I felt his tongue entering my mouth, massaging my own, I felt a jolt shoot through my body, straight to my core and I throbbed with more want than I've ever felt in my life. His words were causing me to soak through my panties as our breathing became heavier. "Oh Sookie, you feel so good. I need to taste you. I can't get enough of you." He was making his way down my neck, leaving wet kisses in his wake. All I could do was moan and hold on to him for dear life.

I felt his hands roaming all over my body and I pushed further against him when I felt him cup my breast. His mouth never stopped its assault. I couldn't take it anymore. "Eric, I need you inside me…now!" That was all he needed to hear. I was in his arms quicker than I could blink and he was rushing up the stairs to our bedroom.

He placed me in the center of the bed and I could see wildness in his eyes I'd never seen before. He looked almost feral, his eyes were dark with lust and desire. I was beginning to feel my excitement rolling to my thighs. I sat up and began unbuttoning his shirt. I kissed his chest as I opened each button, exposing more and more of his chiseled chest. How did I ever get so lucky for this gorgeous, sexy, incredibly wonderful man to love me?

He let out a growl as I licked and sucked his nipple. He ran his fingers through my hair when I nipped it. Then I moved to pay the same attention to the other one. When I finished, he cupped my face with both of his large hands and pulled me to his lips again. He kissed me long and hard as he began removing my clothes. I felt his hands move down to my breasts once he freed them, and I thought I was going to come when he took one into his mouth. He spent a little while enjoying that one before moving to the other to repeat his attentions. I ran my fingers through his hair and was pulling him closer to me and he worked his magic.

He moved his hand down my abdomen and I shook, feeling so much desire and need for this man. He slipped his fingers into my core to test my readiness and I heard him growl again. "Fuck Sookie, you are so wet!"

"Only for you Eric. Please take me now!" I was bucking into his hand. He quickly removed his pants and had positioned himself at my entrance.

"Look at me Sookie. I want to look into your eyes as I claim you tonight." Could I be any wetter for this man?

I almost came as he pushed into me. I bucked against him and we began searching for our rhythm. We found it in no time and we were both lost in all the feelings that were shooting through our bodies. I knew we weren't going to last long.

I was feeling that glorious tension beginning in my belly as I felt Eric speed up. God I was so close. I wrapped my legs around his waist, allowing him to go deeper and he moaned. I was so close now. I began clawing at his back as I was riding higher and higher, until I exploded with Eric's name on my lips. Eric thrust into me once more and I felt him swell and release his warm seed into me as he yelled out, "SOOKIE!"

He flopped down on top of me, but quickly moved to lie beside me. I curled into his side as we both tried to catch our breath. He was caressing my back and I began rubbing circles over his chest. He kissed my head a few minutes later and whispered, "I love you Sookie."

I sighed and whispered back, "I love you too Eric, so much. That was amazing."

He sighed and agreed with me. I felt the baby moving around, so I moved to my back as Eric turned to his side. I put his hand on the baby bump and a huge smile spread across his face as he felt her kicking. He moved down and placed his head on the bump and began talking to the baby. She could hear him because she started moving even more. This was so wonderful. Then I had a thought.

"Eric, we need to come up with a name for this little girl. We can't keep calling her 'baby' you know."

He looked up at me with a huge smile. "You're right, she does need a name. Any ideas?"

"I haven't thought about it honestly. What about you?"

"Me neither. What names do you like?"

"I think I would like to name her after my Gran…maybe her middle name could be 'Adele'?"

"I think that would be perfect. Now, what should we call her?"

We spent the next hour or so tossing around possible names. This was harder than I thought it would be. Finally, Eric had an idea that I loved.

"There is a name I heard years ago that I really liked. What about Brenna?"

I thought that over. _'Brenna Adele Northman'_. "Oh Eric…I love it! Where did you hear that name?"

He got quiet for a moment. "Eric, what's wrong?"

He sighed and hugged me closer to him. "I was just remembering. This is something I haven't shared with Pam yet. Maybe it's time I did. You know we were both pretty young when our parents died, much like you and your siblings." I nodded. "Well, I was old enough to remember that our mother was expecting again when they died. They had chosen to name the baby Brenna if it was a girl." A tear slid down his cheek.

I pulled him to me. "Oh Eric, I'm so sorry."

"I'm ok. I don't think about it often, but when we were having trouble coming up with a name, it came to mind."

"I think it's the perfect name for our baby girl."

He moved down to lay his head on the baby bump again. "So baby girl, what do you think of your name? Brenna Adele Northman." She chose that moment to kick and we both laughed. "I think she likes it Mommy." He moved back up and we both got comfortable. I fell asleep in the arms of the man I loved more than anything.

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Quinn arrived bright and early the next morning. Eric headed off to work after kissing me good bye and telling me to have fun with Pearl. It was early, so I decided to enjoy breakfast in the living room while we watched the morning news. Quinn said he'd already eaten, so he whipped out his laptop to check a few things.

"Sookie, who's Pearl?"

I looked over at him and realized I hadn't told him the plans for the day yet. Oops. "Oh, sorry Quinn, we bumped into her last night at the mall. She's an old friend of mine and she's coming over for lunch today around 11:30. I thought we'd get more privacy here to catch up and you could do your thing without having to endure sitting with us at a restaurant."

He chuckled. "Thanks Sookie, you're probably right. I know how girls can get when they haven't seen each other in a while."

Then it hit me. "Crap!" I grabbed my phone to call Eric.

"What's wrong Sookie?" Quinn looked worried.

"Oh nothing. I just forgot that Eric and I are supposed to go get our marriage license during lunch today. He must've forgotten too!"

His phone rang 3 times before he answered. "Hey baby. Miss me already?"

"Always, but I think we forgot about something when we made plans for today."

"What's that?"

"Our marriage license!"

"Oh…oops, I guess we did forget about that. Tell you what. Why don't you call Pearl and ask if she can come over around 12:30 instead. I will leave here at 10:30 and just take an early lunch. You and Quinn meet me at the courthouse and we'll get it taken care of and you can still enjoy your lunch with Pearl."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Eric. That sounds great!" We hung up after exchanging 'love you'.

"Well Quinn, it looks like we will be going out for a bit today after all. We're meeting Eric at the courthouse around 10:45 so we can get the license. Since I won't have time to prepare anything for lunch, I want to stop and get chicken salad then to the grocery store for croissants and sides. Sound ok to you?"

"Sounds great to me Sookie."

"Good. Now I gotta call Pearl and make sure she's good with coming over a little later. Then I better shower and make myself presentable."

Pearl was fine with coming later. I knew she would be once she heard why. I ran upstairs and showered. Then I got dressed, added a little make up and just pulled my hair into a simple pony-tail. We left the house at 10:30 on the nose. My phone even rang as we were pulling out of the driveway.

"Hey baby, you on your way too?"

Eric laughed. "Yep, just making sure you weren't changing your mind yet!"

I laughed too. "You can't get rid of me that easily Northman!"

"I'm very glad of that! See you in a few minutes. I love you!"

"Love you too!"

Things actually went smoothly at the courthouse. We filled out the necessary paperwork and were told we could come back the next day to pick it up. We decided I would take care of that. Quinn and I picked up the items I needed for lunch and we made it back to the house by noon. I took everything to the kitchen and began preparing lunch. I heard the doorbell right at 12:30, so I knew it was Pearl. Quinn was on his phone in another room when I walked to the living room, so after checking to make sure it was her, I opened the door and let her in.

"Oh Sookie, I'm so glad we have a chance to get all caught up now. I got the feeling there's some stuff going on with you last night, and I REALLY need to talk to you about something that happened to me after y'all left."

I led the way to the kitchen so we could get comfortable and eat while we talked. I was starving. I didn't worry about Quinn. I knew he would come fix himself a plate when he finished his phone call.

"I'm glad too Pearl. It's been too long! I need to go ahead and let you know that a friend of Eric's is here. He watches out for me when Eric's gone." I still wasn't comfortable with the term 'bodyguard'.

Pearl wasn't born yesterday though. "And why exactly do you need a bodyguard Sookie? Are you in trouble? Danger?"

We got our plates fixed as I filled her in on the whole Bill fiasco and how Sophie had been added to the mix as well. "So, it made Eric feel better having Quinn here to be on the safe side. He needs to focus on his work and couldn't do that when he was so worried about me and the baby."

"Well, I guess that also explains why you wanted to talk to me about the self defense stuff huh?"

"Yeah, but we can get to that later. First, I want to know if you have plans for Saturday."

"No, why?"

"Well, Eric and I are getting married! I would love it if you'd come."

"I wouldn't miss it!" I filled her in on the details and was so happy she would be there.

"Good! Now, what happened after we saw you last night that you wanted to talk to me about?"

She actually blushed. "Oh, it's probably nothing." I wasn't buying it.

"Spill Pearl!"

"OK, you know my luck with the guys was lousy growing up right?" I nodded. We both lacked in that department actually. "Well, nothing has changed over the years. After the _incident_, I just gave up. That's when I got so into martial arts. I've learned most of the most common styles and I'm even a black belt. Anyway, last night I met a guy who made me feel things in just the short amount of time we were around each other that I've never felt before."

I was intrigued. Pearl had been attacked when we were in high school and almost raped. It took her a very long time to heal. I could understand her interest in martial arts and self defense after that. She never had another boyfriend, or even a relationship after that to my knowledge. "So, who is he?"

"I don't know. I was too flustered to get his name, but boy was he hot! He was huge Sookie! Had to be at least 6 ½ feet tall and he's built like a mountain!"

I giggled. "Well, he'd have to be huge to knock you down!"

Pearl smiled. "Well, I was closing up the kiosk and he just came out of nowhere and bowled me over…literally. I felt shocks go through my body as he took my hands to help me up. His friend thought it was pretty funny, but I couldn't take my eyes off him. Sookie, nothing like this has ever happened to me before! It freaked me out to tell you the truth."

I was thinking that this story sounded familiar when it hit me…_'oh my god!'_

"Did you recognize the friend?" She should've recognized Jason, but it had been a long time and she was a little preoccupied.

"You know, when I thought about it later, he did look familiar, but I still haven't placed him…" I had a smirk on my face and knew when it hit her. "Oh my god…his friend was Jason!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well my friend, today is your lucky day. Would you like to see your mystery man again? I could definitely arrange it."

She looked confused and I decided to warn her before he came into the room. "Pearl, yes the friend last night was Jason. Your mystery guy is in the other room right now. His name is Quinn and he's Eric's best friend."

Her mouth dropped open. "He…He's Here! He's Eric's best friend?" Her eyes were bugging off her face now. "You knew the story already…did he say something?" She looked a little hopeful now.

"Yes honey, he did. I can't break his confidence anymore than I would yours, but I think he will be pleasantly surprised to see you again. He will be in here any minute to fix himself a plate, so you better prepare yourself." I grinned at her _'This is going to be fun!'_


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: OK, this is the longest chapter I've ever written! I'm so glad everyone seems to like Pearl and Quinn. I'm thinking of doing a spin off about them (working along with the wonderful APearle!) once I finish up with this story! There will be a little more drama/angst/action in a couple of chapters, but I think everyone deserves a wonderful wedding!**

**I own nothing, as usual!**

Chapter 19:

I honestly thought Pearl might hyperventilate. "Ok Pearl, calm down. Are you ok?"

She took a couple of deep breaths. "Yeah, I'm ok. I just never expected to see this guy again, much less see him at your place the very next day!" I nodded that I understood.

"What's he like?"

"Well, he's super nice, but I wouldn't want him angry with me." We both giggled. "He and Eric have been tight since they were kids. Kinda like us I guess. He's very protective of those close to him."

She just nodded. "So Pearl, have you had any relationships since we last saw each other?"

I knew the answer by the look on her face. "No Sookie, I've been too afraid after everything that happened." She hung her head a little. "I've wanted to, but never found anyone I was willing to take the risk with. I mean I've been on dates and I've tried, but no one sparked my interest enough..."

"Well, I don't know Quinn very well yet, but I do know Eric. He trusts this man to take care of the 2 things that mean the most to him – Brenna and me. That says a lot about Quinn in my book."

She raised her head and I saw a look of determination. "Sookie, I don't know if I'll ever be able to have a "normal" relationship with a man, but I'm tired of being scared to death of it. I've mastered amazing things in my life, and I will do it again now. I don't know how to explain what I felt when Quinn had my hands in his, but I know I want more of it. I think I would like to try with him. Do you think he could possibly be interested in me?"

"I think it's a definite possibility. Besides, what's a 'normal' relationship anyway? I think 'normal' is whatever works for the people involved in the relationship."

"Then I want to try."

"Good, because I hear him coming this way." I couldn't help but grin as I watched the color leave her face a little. I knew she was still really nervous.

Quinn walked into the kitchen, oblivious to everything. "Sookie, I just got off the phone with Eric and we need to talk."

"Ok Quinn, first I'd like you to meet my friend Pearl though. Pearl, this is John Quinn but he prefers to be called Quinn."

He looked over at Pearl and I swear his mouth dropped open. Pearl was blushing fiercely, but managed to say, "Hello Quinn, it's nice to meet you."

Quinn recovered quickly. "Pearl, you have a really pretty name. I saw you last night right?"

She chuckled "Yeah, you could say you bumped into me." Quinn actually blushed a little. I never thought I'd ever see something like that!

"I am so sorry about that. I should've been paying closer attention."

"No biggie – I'm fine."

'_They are just too cute together,'_ I thought as I finished my lunch. When I finished, I threw everything away and asked Quinn what he needed to talk to me about.

"Oh…Sookie…right," He made himself a plate and sat down. "I heard from my guys this morning. Sophie left town after seeing Bill. She's not scheduled to return till Monday. Apparently it's a work related trip. She did tell Bill that they would put their plan in motion once she returns."

"So she won't be in town to ruin the wedding!" I let out a huge sigh of relief. I also realized that Bill wouldn't be able to even leave his house. I looked over at Quinn. "I made a really good decision to move the wedding up to this weekend didn't I?

He beamed at me. "The best decision Sookie,. They won't know what hit them!" I couldn't help but notice that he and Pearl couldn't keep their eyes off each other for very long.

My phone rang about that time and I saw it was Eric. "Excuse me y'all!" I ran to the living room so I could talk to him.

"Hey baby!"

"Well, well, well, what has you in such a good mood my love?"

"I just talked to Quinn and he told me the news about Bill and Sophie. They aren't going to be able to ruin the wedding!"

Eric was laughing. "No my love, nothing will ruin our wedding. How is your lunch going?"

"Oh Eric, you won't believe this! You remember Quinn's run in last night at the mall?"

"Yes…"

"It was Pearl he knocked down! She even felt the same things he was describing! What are the odds?"

"Well, that's quite a surprise. I guess it was just fate. So, where are they now?"

"In the kitchen - I came in the living room to talk to you."

"Well, it should be very interesting to see how this plays out between the two of them. I obviously don't know Pearl, but I know it's been a long time since Quinn's been in a relationship."

"Same for Pearl. They really are cute together though." I giggled.

"I have you to myself tonight right?"

"Yes, we're going to get our rings but tonight it's just you and me. Oh, it's the last night before the wedding that we'll be alone Eric!"

"I've thought of that. Let's leave as soon as I get home. We'll have a nice dinner, get our rings, then go home for the rest of the evening."

"That sounds wonderful Eric. I'll be ready when you get here!"

"Good. I need to go now though. I'll see you very soon my Sookie. I love you."

"I love you too baby."

I headed back to the kitchen after we hung up. My thoughts were so wrapped up in Eric that I was caught completely by surprise when I walked in on what can only be described as a _'steamy'_ kiss between Quinn and Pearl. "Oops – sorry guys."

They pulled apart and Pearl began blushing immediately. Quinn looked shell-shocked again – just like last night.

"Oh guys – stop it! I think it's great!"

Pearl grinned and Quinn said something about checking his email. I did catch him wink at Pearl as he left the kitchen though.

Once he was gone, I looked at Pearl. Her grin had turned into that goofy one I was all too familiar with. _'I wonder if this is what I looked like when I met Eric…hmm.'_ I couldn't help but laugh. "So, looks like things went well in here while I was gone." Now I knew how Amelia and Pam felt the night I met Eric.

Pearl blushed again "Yes, everything went…fine." I knew she wouldn't be able to keep herself together much longer. "So is everything ok with Eric?"

"Oh yes, we were making plans for tonight."

She mumbled, "Quinn asked me if I'd go out with him tonight."

"Oh Pearl – that's great! I take it by what I walked in on that you accepted?"

"I did! He also wants to talk more about my gym. I think he has an idea he wants to run by me."

I had a great idea. "Pearl, why don't you come to our rehearsal dinner with us tomorrow night? You can see Amelia and Jason again, meet Eric's sister, Pam, and most importantly – spend more time with Quinn!"

"Are you sure Sookie?"

"Yes – positive!"

"Ok, I would love to!"

We spent another hour or so just catching up on each others lives. Quinn came in once to get a drink and I made him join us. I noticed he sat closer to Pearl this time. The three of us were having a great time when I noticed it was getting late. Eric would be home soon, so I hugged Pearl and told her I'd call her tomorrow. Then I dashed upstairs to get myself ready.

After I showered, I couldn't decide what to wear. I wanted to wear the dress I wore the night I met Eric, but the baby bump made that impossible. I did find a maternity dress I'd bought that was the same color, so I decided that would have to do.

I made it back downstairs with about 15 minutes to spare. Quinn was sitting in the chair with a goofy grin. I guess men get them too. I sat on the couch and faced him. I don't think he'd even registered I was in the room. "Earth to Quinn."

He jumped and the laughed when he saw me looking at him. "Hey Sookie – you surprised me. You look real nice."

"Thanks Quinn. I couldn't help but notice that you were looking pretty happy over there."

"I just can't believe my luck – that she's a friend of yours Sookie! I never thought I'd see her again. We're going out tonight. Any tips for me?"

"I'm very happy for both of you!" Then I grew serious. "The only tip I can give you is to be yourself and take things as slow as she wants to. It's been a while for her and from what I hear, for you as well."

"Yeah, I plan to take it slow. I really like her."

"Good!" I heard Eric coming in the door and jumped up to greet him. He wrapped me in his arms and planted a wonderful kiss on me.

"You look beautiful Sookie." I snuggled closer to him. He looked over my head at Quinn. "I understand you had a big surprise today!"

Quinn laughed that belly rumbling laugh of his. "Big surprise is a bit of an understatement. Try huge shock instead." We all laughed. "I'm actually going to head on out so I can get ready myself. Good night you two!" He was gone in a flash.

Eric looked down at me. "Not that I'm complaining, but he left pretty quick didn't he?"

I grinned at him. "Well, he has a hot date and wants to be on time!" Eric smiled and nodded.

"Speaking of hot dates, let's go."

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He took me to the restaurant we went to the night he proposed to me. When we finished, we walked along the river, towards the shops located there. This time, we went to a jewelry store I hadn't noticed the last time we were here.

It didn't take us very long to pick out what we wanted. Both of us pointed to the same platinum bands at the same time. We tried them on and they were a perfect fit on both of us.

We stopped at the fountain on the way back to the car. Eric stood behind me and held me close to him. "Sookie, you made me happier than I ever thought I could be the last time we were here. I know now that I will be even happier once I can call you my wife and hold our baby girl for the first time. I love you so very much Sookie Stackhouse."

I turned to face him with tears in my eyes. "Eric, you brought me happiness during a time when I thought I deserved none. You showed me that I could find true love. I love you more than you'll ever know."

We shared a tender kiss, sharing our love for each other, before we went home.

Once we were lying in bed together, Brenna decided to make her presence known. Eric put his head on the bump and talked to her as I stroked his hair and felt her kicking her responses to his voice. A tear slid down my cheek as I thought about how truly happy I was in that moment.

Eric moved back up and pulled me to him. "I think she's resting again. What are you thinking about my love?"

I looked up at him. "Just how happy I am right now."

He bent a little and kissed me. As I felt his tongue begin to seek entrance to my mouth, I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled him closer to me. We both moaned as his tongue slid into my mouth and moved against my tongue.

After a few moments, our breathing had quickened and he was kissing down my neck. He knew how to make me melt. His fingers began undoing the buttons of my sleepshirt and it felt more erotic to me with each button he released.

When he finally reached the last button, he caressed his way back up my body, opening my shirt as he went, until I was completely exposed to him. My body was tingling as I felt his hands roam over my abdomen, up to my breasts. "You are so beautiful Sookie, how did I get so lucky?" I moaned his name as I pulled him to me for another deep kiss.

As we kissed, I felt his hand move down to my very slick folds. I gasped as he moved his fingers along them and kiss down my neck until he took my nipple in his mouth. I arched my back towards him, and let out a deep sigh as he moved to my other nipple. His fingers were moving across my throbbing clit and then I felt them enter my hot core. I bucked my hips as he moved his fingers in and out of me.

I was on the verge of a blissful release when he removed his fingers and looked at me as he licked and sucked my juices from them. "Mmmm Sookie, you taste so good…I want more." I groaned in frustration as he moved down till he found himself facing my glistening folds. I bucked my hips again as I felt him start licking my very swollen nub. I couldn't take much more.

"ngh…Eric…please baby…" I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled his face against my mound as he slipped his fingers back into my core and sucked my clit.

"What do you want Sookie, tell me…" He was fucking me with is fingers faster now and I knew I wasn't going to last much longer.

"Please…don't stop…..FUCK….Eric, don't stop!" With a few more thrusts and sucks, I crashed over that wondrous edge and screamed Eric's name. He rubbed me through the mind-blowing orgasm he'd just given me. I barely had time to catch my breath before he was kissing me…hard.

I felt him at my entrance and I don't think I'd ever wanted him more. Check that…I NEEDED him inside me. I wrapped my arms around his back until I got my hands on his luscious ass and began to pull him to me. "Baby…I need to feel you inside me."

That was all it took. I gasped as he filled me in one thrust. This was not going to be soft or gentle…we were too far gone. I felt the tension rising in me again as he slammed into me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, opening myself up even more to him. The sounds he was making sounded like they were coming from a wild animal. "Fuck Sookie, you feel so good. I can't get enough of you."

I felt myself getting closer to my release and I clung to him as if he was my lifeline. A couple of more thrusts and I soared over the edge once more, with Eric's name on my lips. I felt him swell and release inside me in the same moment, as he groaned my name.

It took us several minutes to catch our breath. We were both completely spent. Finally, Eric picked me up and without saying a word, carried me to our shower. He held me up as he turned the water on and placed me under the warm spray. I held on to him as he washed me then I took the soap and cleaned him. After we dried each other with the fluffy towels, he carried me back to bed. As we snuggled close to each other, he finally spoke "Sookie, my love, that was incredible. I've never experienced anything like what we just shared."

I snuggled closer to him as he kissed my head. "I haven't either Eric, you amaze me. I'm so lucky that you chose me."

"No Sookie, I'm the lucky one. I love you."

I think I mumbled that I loved him too, but sleep took me quickly, so I wasn't sure.

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I woke up still in Eric's arms. This was heaven to me. I noticed the clock on his side said it was almost 9:00 and I panicked. I shook him until he woke up. "Eric, you're late for work!" He snickered and pulled me closer to him.

He mumbled "Took the day off" or something that sounded like that.

I slapped at his arm and he opened one eye to look at me. "Eric…did you say you took the day off?" He smiled that devious smile of his before he pulled me under him and was kissing me.

After a few moments he pulled away and said "Yes, I took today off. I took Monday and Tuesday off next week too. I know we aren't taking a honeymoon right now, but I wanted a few days with my bride."

I squealed and hugged him tight. Then my tummy growled and I realized how hungry I was. I didn't usually sleep this late. We got up, made ourselves presentable and went out for breakfast. Then we stopped by the courthouse to pick up our marriage license. I checked in with Frannie and she had everything set for tonight and tomorrow. Then I remembered something I hadn't told Eric about yet. "Eric, I forgot to tell you that I invited Pearl to come to the dinner tonight."

He looked a little surprised at me. "Does Quinn know this Sookie?"

"I'm not sure…Pearl may have told him last night, but no, I didn't tell him…why?"

Eric just chuckled a little. "Sookie, I know you just wanted your friend there, but you didn't think it through all the way. Who is hosting the dinner tonight?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Quinn of course, I don't see what the prob…oh SHIT!" Eric laughed at me. "Oh Eric, I totally didn't think about Quinn's parent's hosting our dinner. They just had their first date last night and now I've set it up so she has to meet his parents the very next day! She's gonna kill me!"

"I don't think she'll kill you baby, but you should probably call and warn her."

I reached for my phone. "This is one call I'm not looking forward to Eric." I'd dialed her number and it rang twice before she answered.

"Hey Sookie! How's it going?"

"Ok, how was your date last night?" I thought it would be better to get her thinking about good things before I sprung this on her.

"Sookie, you were right…he's just wonderful! We had a great time at dinner and then we went for a couple of drinks and listened to some great music. You and Eric should go with us next time, it was a great band."

"That sounds great Pearl. Listen, I need to tell you something and I hope you won't kill me because I didn't even think about it until Eric just pointed it out to me."

"Sookie, what's going on….you've got me a little nervous here."

I took a deep breath and said it as quickly as I could. "Quinn'sparentsaretheoneshostingourrehearsaldinnertonight!"

Silence…all I heard was silence for a moment. Then she freaked like I knew she would. I couldn't blame her though. If I were in her shoes, I would have freaked too. "Did you just say that Quinn's **parents** are the ones hosting your rehearsal dinner tonight?"

"Yes, they wanted to since Eric's parents have passed and he is so close to Quinn."

'_Here comes hurricane Pearl'_ I thought as she took a deep breath. "I'm gonna KILL you Sookie! Oh my god, we just had one date…last night…and you're telling me I will be meeting his parents tonight! Sookie…..what were you thinking?!"

"I didn't even think about it yesterday when I invited you. I just wanted my closest friend there with me. Did you tell Quinn about it last night?"

"No, I thought I'd surprise him. He thinks he won't see me till the wedding tomorrow. Oh Sookie, what am I going to do? I really want to be there for you and I really, really want to see Quinn, but meet his parents….I don't know."

Eric took the phone from me. "Pearl, it's Eric. What are you doing for lunch?" He paused. "Why don't you meet Sookie and I in about an hour and we can talk. I think I can set your mind at ease about all of this." He looked at me and asked where I wanted to go and I was having a serious craving for Chinese, so we decided to meet up at my favorite place in an hour or so. He gave me the phone back and I told Pearl it would all be OK.

We ran a few errands that Eric needed to take care of and then went to meet Pearl. She was already there when we pulled up. Once we got seated and placed our orders, Eric turned to Pearl.

"Pearl, I don't know you very well, but I can tell how special you are to Sookie. I hope we will become good friends. I have known Quinn my entire life practically and by extension, his family as well. I know it's nerve wracking to meet someone's parents, especially someone you're interested in. Sookie and I didn't have the luxury of having to deal with that." He took my hand as our drinks were delivered.

"The Quinn's are really good people," he continued. "I know this is hard for you, but you really don't have anything to worry about. They will be thrilled that Quinn is finally going on dates again, and they will love you. But they aren't the type of people that will hound you about their son. They know he can take care of himself pretty well. I think the best way to introduce you is to do it as what you are in this moment…Sookie's best friend. We won't mention you and Quinn. That should come from him and whenever the two of you decide, not because you happen to be invited to an event they're hosting."

My Eric is so smart. I could tell that Pearl was calming down. "You really think it will be ok to not mention about me and Quinn and just introduce me as Sookie's best friend? Will that bother Quinn?"

Eric whipped out his phone and said "Let's find out. I know you wanted to surprise him, but I think you may have to come up with another way later. He needs to be aware of this and decide how he wants to handle it too." She nodded her agreement as he dialed Quinn's number.

Eric got Quinn on the phone and explained the situation. He must've asked where we were because after Eric told him, they hung up. "He's meeting us here. He happens to be around the corner." Just a couple of minutes later, Quinn joined us. He leaned over and gave Pearl a sweet kiss after he ordered his food.

"So, looks like Sookie made a small predicament huh?" He was smiling.

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't even think about all of this when I invited Pearl."

"No problem Sookie." He turned to Pearl. This was the moment that I saw how similar Eric and Quinn really were. "Pearl, why don't we just introduce you as Sookie's best friend tonight? I'm not embarrassed by you in any way, but I thought that might make things easier. We can fill them in about us later on, once we figure 'us' out ourselves ok."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Are you sure Quinn?"

He took her hand. "I'm sure babe." Her face lit up.

The rest of the meal was great. Our food was delivered and I must've been making some sounds that could be considered obscene because Pearl and Quinn were laughing at me and Eric couldn't take his eyes off me. I couldn't help it. When you satisfy a craving, it's a good thing!

Quinn and Pearl left the restaurant together, saying they would see us tonight. Eric and I headed out shortly after them. We decided to go home and rest a little before tonight. I really could use a nap. Thankfully, Eric let me get some sleep once we snuggled up to each other again.

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We were heading to the community 'center' before I knew it. The nap Eric and I took earlier really helped recharge me for the rest of the evening. I changed into a dark red dress for the evening because it's Eric's favorite color. He was very pleased when he saw me because he knows I'm thinking about him when I wear that color.

Pam and Amelia were already there, along with Frannie, Mr. and Mrs. Quinn. Everything looked beautiful! Frannie had outdone herself and I ran to hug her and make sure she knew how much I loved it. We were going to have the ceremony in this room tomorrow and I couldn't wait. They would replace the few tables with chairs tomorrow morning.

Jason arrived next, then Pearl. Quinn came in not long after Pearl. Amelia squealed when she saw Pearl and ran over to give her a huge hug. Jason picked her up and twirled her around in a bear hug once Amelia was through. She was like a sister to them as well. I thought for a moment that Quinn was jealous of Jason, but then it passed. I'd be sure to make sure he knew where they stood later on. I figured it would be easier if I took over the introductions. I introduced Amelia, Jason, and Pearl to Frannie, and Mr. and Mrs. Quinn. Before Eric even had a chance, Amelia drug Pearl over to where Pam was making sure the food was set to introduce them. Of course she was introduced as Eric's sister as an afterthought. First and foremost to Amelia, Pam was hers!

Everyone was getting along great. The Justice of the Peace had agreed to drop by for us to do a walk through, and he arrived about 10 minutes later. I asked Pearl to stand in for me because it's bad luck or something for the bride to do all that before the actual wedding. Why, I have no idea. She agreed and we all got very silly watching her stand up there with Eric. We were having such a small wedding that the rehearsal part was over pretty quick. We invited the Justice to stay for dinner, but he said he had to be getting home to his wife before she got angry with him and he winked as he left, saying he would see us tomorrow afternoon.

Pearl was talking to Pam and Amelia when I got my chance to make sure Quinn was ok with Jason. He said that's what he figured and told me not to worry, but he did appreciate me making sure he knew what they were to each other. I started looking for Eric when Jason came over to Quinn and I. He had put it together that Pearl was the girl Quinn had bowled over in the mall and he couldn't believe he didn't recognize her right away. I told him that Pearl hadn't recognized him either and he laughed.

I found Eric talking with Mr. and Mrs. Quinn and I walked over to them. He was thanking them for hosting this for us and they were telling him how happy they were to do it. They told him that he was like another son to them and they loved him. I had tears in my eyes when I saw Mrs. Quinn take Eric in her arms as a mother would and I could tell Eric was very touched. Mr. Quinn patted him on the back as Mrs. Quinn turned to me and told me to take good care of Eric as she hugged me. I promised her I would. Mr. Quinn told Eric that he had a 'keeper' in me and to take care of me as he hugged me as well. Eric just beamed and promised he would. As they wandered over to Quinn, Pearl, and Jason, Eric took me in his arms and I commented about what good people they were. He agreed with me.

Eric and I decided that we were about ready to leave and started making our goodbyes. Amelia, Pam, Frannie, and Pearl all said 'NO' when we said we were going to leave. We must've looked very confused. Amelia spoke up. "Have you guys forgotten that you won't be spending the night together tonight? You can't!" I heard Eric mutter 'fuck' under his breath as I realized what they were getting at.

Pam took charge, as she usually does. "We decided it would be easier if Sookie spent the night at our place and we've invited Pearl and Frannie as well. Quinn will be staying with Eric at your place and Jason is welcome to stay with them too." I looked up at Eric.

"And just why can't we stay together tonight and go our separate ways in the morning?" Eric wasn't happy about this. I put my hand on his chest as the others wandered away, giving us a moment.

"Baby, I don't really like this either, but it is tradition. I didn't even think about it till they brought it up, but I do want to do this the right way." He just looked at me for a minute.

"There's one problem Sookie, what if Bill does try to do something tonight? You won't have me, Quinn, or even Jason with you."

I got a little offended by that remark. "Well, I don't believe he will try anything tonight, and if he does, he will be dealing with you, Quinn, and Jason since y'all are staying at the house. If he were to be smart enough to track me to Pam and Amelia's, I have my gun, Pearl is a freaking blackbelt, Frannie's no slouch when it comes to defense and neither are the rest of us. Look who we all have as big brothers, who taught us well and besides, I'm sure at least one of the 5 of us could get to a phone to call y'all to get your cute butts down there if we ran into a problem we couldn't deal with ourselves. We can handle this for one night honey."

He chuckled. "I guess Bill would be crazy to try to take on the likes of you girls. I'll just miss you so much and I don't want to let you go…even for one night." He was giving me the puppy dog eyes that are practically impossible for me to say no to. Luckily, Pam saw what he was doing and came over.

"Stop it big brother. You know she can't say no to you when you're like this….good thing I'm immune to you! Tell her good night and leave with your guys. We will take care of Sookie tonight and see you tomorrow!" Both of us laughed as we walked outside to get a little privacy.

Eric took me in his arms as we got outside. I clung to him as I realized how much I was going to miss him too. I wanted to do things this way, but now I was wondering why in the world I had felt that way. I looked up into his eyes and could tell he felt the same way I did. He bent to kiss me as I wrapped my arms around his neck. As the kiss deepened and I felt his tongue slide into my mouth, I almost lost every ounce of my resolve. I moaned as we savored this kiss before we had to part. We pulled apart as Pearl and Quinn approached us. We were still holding each other, our foreheads touching.

Pearl spoke first, "Sorry guys, Pam and Amelia were about to come barging out, so we decided it would be better if we did."

"Yeah, they wanted to come tear you two apart, but we told them we would take care of it. We thought we could be nicer about it than they would be." Quinn added. I looked up at Eric and we kissed once more before we let go of each other. We looked at Pearl and Quinn.

"Thanks for stopping Pam and Amelia. I may have done something I would regret later if they had interrupted us in their usual way." Eric smiled. The four of us headed back inside to say our last goodbyes and then go our separate ways.

As we were walking out to the cars, Eric and I hung back a little for one more kiss. "When I see you tomorrow, you will become my wife at last," Eric whispered to me.

I looked up and whispered back, "I can't wait! I love you."

"I love you too Sookie." We kissed once more before he opened the door to Pearl's car for me to get in. Once he'd shut the door, I sighed..

"You ok?" Pearl asked as we headed to Amelia and Pam's.

"Yeah, this is just the first night I haven't spent with him in a long time." Pearl smiled at me.

"I'm glad I'm riding with you and have a minute to compose myself before I have to deal with Pam and Amelia again. I know they mean well and probably have a ton of things planned for tonight, but they would be just like me and Eric if they had to separate for a night." Both of us laughed and I felt better as we were pulling into their driveway.

"Just think Sookie, this time tomorrow night, you will be Mrs. Eric Northman and never have to part from him again!" Pearl said as we got out of the car. I smiled and knew she was absolutely right.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Well, here's the next chapter! Real life has been getting in my way a lot lately, sorry for the delay with the update. I wouldn't have this ready if it weren't for APearle! She has been a HUGE help to me. My beta, Sunkisz, has been awesome as well, catching all my mistakes! Thanks so much ladies!!**

Chapter 20:

We went into Pam and Amelia's house, and I couldn't help but just want to go home and snuggle with Eric. Pearl seemed to understand and threw her arm around my shoulders.

"Come on Sook…put your big girl panties on for one night! You get every night after this with your man. Let's have a great girls' night!"

I nodded. Pam and Amelia had set the living room up like a slumber party we would've had when we were teenagers. They had even bought me some comfy pjs to wear and the kitchen was fully stocked with junk food. Pam said they were originally going to drag me to a strip club, but with the baby and all, they thought this would be better. I totally agreed and hugged them both.

I had put my pjs on and was getting comfy on the pallet they had ready for me when my phone went off. I had a text message and had a feeling I knew who it was from. I was glad the girls were in the kitchen getting trays of junk food ready for our movie thon. I opened my phone and read:

'_Missing you like crazy. Are you having fun? E'_

I sent him a quick message back:

'_They have really gone all out. We're having an old fashioned slumber party! I'm missing you like crazy too though. I love you very much. Can't wait till tomorrow! S'_

I smiled as I read his reply:

'_Glad you're having fun. We're playing video games and drinking. : ) I love you too Sookie. I'll be the guy waiting down front tomorrow! Can't wait to make you my wife. Sleep tight! E'_

I was busted as I closed my phone. "You just couldn't keep away huh?" I looked up to see Pearl giving me a cheshire cat grin.

I blushed. "He texted me first! But no, I couldn't keep away. I've never felt like this about anyone Pearl. He's so amazing."

She handed me my drink (non-alcoholic of course) and got on her pallet. "I'm very happy for you Sookie. I know you've been through a bunch of mess, like me. It's looking like luck might finally be changing for both of us!"

"I hope so Pearl. So, you really like Quinn huh? I haven't had a chance to ask yet, but how did the date go?" Pearl blushed this time.

"The date was fine…" Pearl started as Pam and Amelia came into the room.

"What date are we talking about?" Amelia asked. I could tell by the look on Pam's face that she was about to have some fun with Pearl.

"Pearl, was everything ok in there? I noticed you had a pretty goofy grin as you were texting someone while we were in the kitchen."

"Oh no you weren't Pearl! And you thought you'd come give me a hard time about texting Eric! You're just as bad as me!" She had that goofy grin that Pam had described again and we started laughing.

Amelia and Pam plopped down on their pallets and we all started munching away. Amelia wasn't about to let Pearl off the hook though. "So Pearl, just who was this date with that Sookie was talking about and was that the same person you were just texting with a ridiculously goofy grin plastered on your face?" Pearl looked over at me and I knew she wasn't sure about telling the others about Quinn. I knew she was worrying for nothing though.

I laughed. "You might as well tell them too Sweetie because you know how Amelia gets when she wants to know something." Pearl relaxed as she was remembering exactly how stubborn Amelia could get.

"I guess you're right. She is like a dog with a bone isn't she?" We all laughed as Pam chimed in.

"You do know Amelia well, Pearl. She's told me all about you and I was very happy to hear you are living in the area again."

"Thanks Pam. I'm glad I'm back too, and just in time for Skokie's wedding!"

"OK, back to this date. Who are you dating Pearl?" Amelia wasn't going to wait much longer.

Pearl blushed a little. "Well, we aren't really dating yet, we've only gone out once."

"Come on Pearl…spill it already!"

"Ok, ok, ok…I went out with Quinn last night."

Amelia and Pam both squealed when she said that. I just laughed. "You go girl! He's a seriously hot man. If I wasn't so happy with Pammy here, I might even try for him!" Amelia laughed as she put her arms around Pam.

Pam chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you're happy with me, but I must admit, he is one fine specimen."

We all squealed at Pam's comment. Before I knew it, I was really having a great time and not dwelling on missing Eric. We all asked Pearl a few more questions about her date with Quinn, but she wasn't sharing too much. I knew this was pretty new to her, and she would probably talk to me later, when we were alone. Amelia and Pam are great, but can be a little overbearing sometimes.

She did tell us that he took her out to a very nice dinner and they talked a lot. She gave me a look that really surprised me because I think she was telling me that she had shared her history with Quinn. If she did, then she likes him even more than I realized because to my knowledge she has not shared that with anyone beyond me, Jason, Gran, and Amelia. The only reason Jason knew was he was there and helped get her the help she so badly needed. Amelia rushed to the hospital and brought Gran when we called to let them know we'd be late and why. Wow. That means she feels she can trust him too, which for Pearl is a huge step forward. I was so proud of her! I just had to hope that Quinn wouldn't let her down now. I had a feeling he wouldn't though. If I know Jason, once he finds out about them, Quinn will get the same 'big brother' speech that Eric got from him.

We spent the rest of the night gossiping, pigging out on junk food, and watching classic chick flicks like 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Pretty Woman'. I loved every minute of it. They all made it a really special night for me and I would never forget it. We all drifted off to sleep sometime during the wee hours of the morning. The last thought I had was being glad the wedding wasn't till later in the afternoon.

(Eric)

Jason, Quinn and I were all playing 'Call of Duty' until Jason needed a break to get some more beer. When he came back he caught me and Quinn both texting and he said, "You two are as bad as a bunch of girls!"

I smirked at my soon to be brother-in-law and kept texting Sookie, but Quinn quickly put his phone away. Jason asked him, "So you got a girl now, too, Quinn?"

Quinn smiled but didn't respond to Jason's ribbing. He had jogged my memory though, so I asked, "Yeah, so how did the date go anyway?"

Quinn replied simply, "It was good."

Jason handed him a beer and said, "Only good? What, you didn't get any?"

Quinn rolled his eyes at Jason.

I laughed and punched Quinn's shoulder playfully, "Well, looked like you guys were pretty friendly earlier today after lunch and at the party tonight, too!"

He sighed knowing we weren't going to give up, "Pearl's great. I never thought I'd meet a woman like her. She's fun to be with."

Jason's playful demeanor disappeared and he looked at Quinn with a very serious face, "Pearl? You are seeing Pearl?"

"Yeah, we went out on a date last night."

Jason remained stony, his cheerful mood gone, "Listen, Quinn, I don't want to get in your business, but Pearl was like a sister to me back in the day and now that she's back, I'm still going to watch out for her. You should know that she went through some stuff when we were younger and honestly, I still don't know how she got over it."

Quinn nodded solemnly, "She told me a bit about it last night."

Jason looked shocked, "She did?"

"Yeah she says she doesn't talk about it much."

Jason said, "She tell you what that bastard did to her?"

Quinn shook his head, "No, she didn't go into a lot of detail, but I got the general idea."

"No, I don't think you did, Quinn. It was bad…really bad. I was one of the ones that found her. That sick son of a bitch……"

Quinn and I looked at each other before looking back at Jason. Sookie hadn't shared this with me, so I had no clue what Jason was talking about. Quinn was looking worried. "What do you mean you don't think I have the general idea Jason? What happened to her and how do you know about it?"

Jason took a deep breath. "Quinn, I want to tell you, but I promised Pearl a long time ago that I wouldn't tell anyone. You're gonna have to wait for her to tell you man. I'm honestly shocked that she told you anything in the first place. I just told you I was one of the ones that found her…that's how I know."

Quinn took a deep breath before he tried again, "Jason, I know you don't know me well, but you can ask Eric, I don't fall for girls…pretty much ever. I have never felt the way I feel about Pearl before. I'm not going anywhere if she'll have me. I moved back here to try to settle down and meeting her was a miracle for me. I know I haven't known her for very long, but there's something there man. I gotta know what you're talking about here. She told me the gist of it, but I can tell there's more to it. Please man…"

Jason sighed. "Ok Quinn, but you can't tell her you know. I mean it. She can't know I told you."

Quinn nodded. Jason proceeded to tell us the horrible details of that night. I couldn't believe someone could be that sick. I also knew this could mean trouble and one look at Quinn's face told me I was 100% right about that. _'Oh shit!'_

Quinn stood and paced a few times before he stopped and asked Jason coldly, "What's his name?"

I jumped up quickly and said, "Oh, no you don't. Jason, don't say one word. Quinn, I know you, and as much as I agree with you, as your friend AND your lawyer I can't just stand by and watch you hunt this guy down."

Quinn answered in the same cold monotone, "I'll make it look like an accident."

"I know you could, but I don't want to chance my best friend being in prison for the rest of his life."

Jason looked impressed, "You could make it look like an accident?"

Quinn gave a stiff nod as he sat back down and took a swig of his beer. I sighed.

Jason let out a whistle, "Holy shit, man! What did you used to do before you moved back here! Were you a spy or somethin'?"

Quinn was still upset but he was calming down, "Sorry, top secret…..but I did work for the government overseas."

Jason laughed, "Yeah right! What, if you told me you'd have to kill me?"

Quinn didn't answer; he just picked the controller back up and took several clean headshots on the war themed video game. Jason's mouth dropped open and I just shook my head.

Jason looked at me, "Looks like you chose the perfect guy to look after my sister, huh? Guess I don't need to worry about Pearl either."

I gave Jason a knowing look and stated, "Yes…yes I did." Jason really had no fucking clue how perfect Quinn was for the job. If he had fallen for Pearl, it would make him even worse when it came to her. I had no doubts that he was falling for Pearl either. _'God help anyone who messes with that girl from now on.'_

8888888888888888888888888888

(Sookie)

I woke up late the following morning. As I stretched, it hit me that today was my wedding day! I laid there for a minute just thinking about how in a few short hours I would finally be Mrs. Eric Northman. A huge smile spread across my face as I heard Pearl.

"Yep, today's the day Sookie. You ready – as if I need to ask?" We both giggled. Pam and Amelia were both up already and had breakfast waiting on us.

Once we finished with breakfast (which was really more like brunch with as late as we slept) Pam took charge again. "Ok, we have to get a move on ladies. Sookie, why don't you go ahead and get in the shower in our bathroom while Pearl uses the guest one. Then we can get started on hair and make-up!" Pearl and I just looked at each other and grinned but we followed our orders.

I went to the bag Amelia had packed for me and found a surprise. I pulled out one of Eric's button down shirts along with a note. I sat on the bed and smelled the shirt, which smelled just like Eric and I was in heaven. I opened the note and read:

_My Sookie,_

_I hope you had a wonderful night with your girls. Yes, I knew about it before they mentioned it last night, but they wanted to surprise you. I wanted you to have something of me with you today until I can see you. I can't wait to see you walking down that aisle to become my wife. _

_I love you,_

_E_

I felt a huge rush of love come over me as I read Eric's words. I knew I was the luckiest girl in the world to have found someone like Eric to love. _'Ok Sookie, pull it together so you can be beautiful for him!'_ I put his shirt on and my underwear. The shirt was so long, I didn't need any shorts or anything.

I went to the spare bedroom and found another surprise. Amelia had called a friend of hers from school who happened to be a wiz with hair and make-up. Her name was Janet Hervareux, she was also Alcide's sister, but she can't help how her brother behaves sometimes. Amelia was already in the room and dragged me over to the chair they had set up. Before I knew it, Janet had my hair done in a beautiful updo and my make-up looked great! I'm not one to wear a lot of make-up, and Janet had made sure that mine still looked natural even though I needed a little more for the pictures we'd be taking later today. I thanked her for everything and she congratulated me before she went to work on Amelia. I stayed in the room and visited as she worked on Pam and Pearl as well. Once we were all finished, Janet left and it was time to get me into my dress.

The dress I'd chosen was perfect. I didn't want one of those meringue dresses you see some brides wearing. This was a small wedding and I wanted a simple but elegant dress. I'd gotten lucky when I found exactly what I was looking for. It was ivory and was embroidered at the bust. There was also a hint of bead work that gave it just enough sparkle. It didn't take long for all of us to get dressed and I was touched that Amelia had returned to the store we got the dresses at and now Pearl was wearing a dress that matched theirs. With tears in my eyes, I thanked her for being with me today. She had tears too and said she wouldn't be anywhere else today.

Amelia and Pam joined us in a little group hug. Then Amelia told me to turn around and she placed Gran's necklace around my neck. I teared up again when I saw it. It had been so long and I immediately felt like Gran was there. Then Pam showed me the earrings that had belonged to their mother. They were gorgeous and she told me that her mom would be proud to see me wearing them today. This was all too much and the tears started to fall. Pam took charge again as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Ok, enough tears for now. We don't want to ruin our make-up before we get to show off how hot we all are! Besides, if we don't get a move on, Sookie is going to be late to her own wedding!" With that, we all hurried towards the door. At the door, Pam suddenly stopped and turned to me. "Sookie, you are going to find that my brother is full of surprises." When she opened the door, my mouth dropped to the floor. There was a stretch limousine waiting for us.

"Pam…why did he do this when we are just going around the corner?" I was shocked to say the least.

Pam just snickered, "Well, for one because he loves you, but apparently he has plans after the reception and wanted a limousine for the night."

I couldn't believe how wonderful my soon to be husband really is. We all climbed in the limo and were off. When we arrived at out destination, Pearl and Amelia both sent out texts from their phone and we waited a moment before they received replies.

Amelia had contacted Jason while Pearl did the same with Quinn, to let them know we were here and to keep Eric away from the side of the building we were on. We went in to the room set up for the ceremony and the photographer was waiting on us. Jason met us there so we could get some pics of the three of us. I also wanted one of him and me, as well as him and Amelia. They took several of just me, then one of me and Amelia that Jason decided to hang around for. Then we sent him back to Eric and I whispered to him to have Quinn come up next. I wanted a picture with Pearl and one with Pam before we took several of all of us. Then as Quinn came in the room, they were taking one of Amelia and Pam. Quinn came over to me and looked a little confused.

I told him that I just wanted him there for a picture. So, he went ahead and took one with me and I told him to wait as I stepped down and told Pearl to get up there with her man. She blushed as she looked over and saw him standing there. I knew I was going to be in serious trouble because as good as Quinn looked in his suit, I knew Eric would look even better. Pearl stepped up beside Quinn and he wrapped his arm around her as the picture was taken. They both had the goofy grins now and I couldn't help but smile.

After we were done with the pictures, the girls put me in a room and ran back out for pictures with Eric. Frannie came to check on me while they were gone and I got the feeling Quinn had sent her when he realized I'd be alone for a few minutes. I thanked her for making everything so beautiful and pulling it together so quickly. She gave me a hug and then surprised me. She thanked me for introducing Quinn and Pearl. She said she hadn't seen him so happy in a very long time and she knew Pearl was the reason. I told her that it was the same with Pearl.

Then the girls came back and said it was just about time. I was getting nervous now, but it was a good nervous. I asked them if everyone came, and they said it looked like it. I was very happy. We walked to the doors that led to our ceremony room. Quinn and Jason were waiting on us. I heard music start to play as Pearl took Quinn's arm and they made their way into the room. After a few moments, Pam went in. Amelia turned to me and Jason took us both in his arms. "I'm so proud of both of my sisters and Sookie, I'm glad you finally found a man who's loves you so much." We both hugged him and in unison said we loved him. Now it was Amelia's turn to enter the room. As I took Jason's arm and we approached the doors, I heard the music change to the tune that every girl knows by heart. All of the guests had risen when the song started, so I couldn't see Eric right away.

Jason and I made our way into the room and after just a few steps, Eric came into view. My breath hitched a little when I saw him. He was absolutely gorgeous and I saw a stunned look on his face. As Jason and I got closer to him and Quinn, I realized that he had tears in his eyes. He stepped forward as we made it to where he was standing. Jason gave him my hand as the wedding started. When Jason said he was giving me away, he looked at Eric and told him to take care of me. Then he turned to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek as he told me he loved me. Then he went to stand beside Quinn.

I don't remember much about the actual ceremony. I was lost in Eric's eyes. We did manage to say everything we were suppose to say and even at the right times. Once we'd put our rings on each other's fingers, I knew it was almost over. I heard the official declare us man and wife and Eric was kissing me before he'd barely gotten the words out of his mouth. As we turned to face our small crowd, he introduced us as Mr. and Mrs. Eric Northman and a huge smile spread across my face.

The small crowd began to leave to meet us at the restaurant for the reception. We stayed to take more pictures of Eric and me together then several more of us with our siblings, the wedding party, etc. Once we'd signed the marriage license for the official, he left and said he would file it for us.

Eric and I got into the limousine while the rest of the girls rode with the guys to the reception. Pearl rode with Quinn while Jason took Amelia and Pam. As we started down the road, Eric took me into his arms and kissed me like he'd never kissed me before.

"Sookie, you looked amazing as you were walking down that aisle. I never thought I would be this happy. Thank you."

I snuggled up to him. "I never thought I'd be happy Eric. You have shown me what that really means and that it is possible to feel real love. Thank you so much for that!"

We cuddled and kissed for the rest of the ride to the restaurant. Pam had made sure we had the best private dining room they had for our reception. The night was unforgettable. All our family and close friends were there. We ate a truly delicious meal and then the dancing started. I knew I'd never tire of dancing in Eric's arms. Then I danced with Jason, Quinn, and Sam as Eric danced with Pam, Amelia, and Pearl. The cake Frannie arranged for us was as beautiful as it was delicious. Then I danced with Eric again and he could tell I was getting tired.

We walked over to where Pam was talking to Frannie and told them we were going to be leaving. They said they understood, but we had to throw the bouquet and garter first. So, I got ready as all the single ladies gathered round. I threw it after Eric turned me a couple of times and heard squeals right away. I turned and saw Pearl looking shell-shocked, with my bouquet in her hands. I ran to her and hugged her. I whispered in her ear, so no one else could hear me, "This is a sign about you and Quinn!" She looked at me and smiled.

Then, I saw Eric walking toward me with a predatory look on his face. Suddenly, I felt like a gazelle being stalked by a lion. When he made it to me, he kissed me and then whispered for me to put my foot on his knee. He knelt down on one knee and smirked at me. Then it hit me what was going on…he had to get my garter. I slid my shoe off and placed my foot on his knee. He never took his eyes off mine as he worked his was up my leg, under my dress, and up to my garter. I was ready to jump him right there in front of everyone! He caressed my thigh for a moment then worked my garter down my leg and slid it off my foot before twirling it around his finger to a round of applause. He stood and kissed me while the single guys were being rounded up. After I turned him around a few times, he tossed my garter and we heard a triumphant sound. We saw Quinn had reached out and grabbed the garter. We both joined in the laughter as he wrapped the garter around his arm, walked over to Pearl and kiss her. Eric and I made our way to them and heard him say "I'm not taking any chances baby!"

We joined them in their laughter then posed for a few pictures. Once all of that was done, Eric and I thanked everyone for coming and wished them good night. Before I knew it, we were back in the limo. I was so tired and I felt sleep claiming me as I snuggled up against Eric.

I felt Eric kissing my head and softly calling my name to wake me up. I looked up and saw him grinning. I looked around, but I couldn't tell where we were. I turned back to him with a questioning look on my face. He just smiled and pulled me closer to him. "I know we decided to wait on a honeymoon because of Brenna, but I still wanted something special for us tonight." He opened the car door and slid out. As I slid to the door, I saw him holding his hand out to help me from the car. I was grateful for that. I got out and saw that we were outside one of the nicest hotels in the area. This was a four star place…I'd never even been inside!

Eric put his arm around my waist as we walked inside. A bell boy had come out and gotten our bags for us. I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked in. The lobby was beautiful. I had a sudden urge to use the restroom and figured Brenna was getting wound up. Eric pointed me in the right direction and went to check us in while I took care of things. Even the restroom was the prettiest I'd ever seen. I couldn't believe I was in a place like this. I really needed to sit down with Eric soon and find out how 'well off' he really is. Course now that we're married, I guess it's how well **we're** off.

When I left the restroom, Eric was waiting on me. The bell boy had gone ahead to put our bags in our room. In the elevator, Eric wrapped me in his arms as I asked him when he set all this up. He laughed and told me he made the reservations as soon as he got off the phone with me when I let him know that date of the wedding. I kissed him and told him thank you! No one had ever done anything like this for me. I started to tear up again and cursed my pregnancy hormones!

We left the elevator and I realized we were probably on the top floor. You can just tell something like that. I turned to Eric and he confirmed that we were in the penthouse. My mouth dropped open. He smirked and kissed me before lifting me in his arms, Rhett Butler style, and carried me through the open door to our room. Once we were in, I noticed the bell boy leaving. I hugged Eric very tightly and he laughed as he put me down, but was still keeping me close to him.

After a long time of kissing each other, Eric broke away and told me that he had packed my bag for me himself and I would find 'something more comfortable' in it. I grabbed my bag and headed for the bedroom, which I figured had a bathroom attached in a room like this. I was correct, and what a bathroom it was! The tub was HUGE! I couldn't wait to try it out with Eric. After looking at the tub for a second longer, I leaned my head back out the door and called Eric. He came in the bedroom with his bag. I asked him if he had seen the bathroom and he shook his head. I motioned him over to me and he grinned when he saw the tub. I leaned over to him and whispered "Why don't we take a bath before we retire for the evening" into his ear. He looked down at me and told me that was the best idea he'd heard all night.

He started the water and I started taking my hair down. I decided it would be easier to take my make-up off now, so I dug in my bag and found a new facial cleanser and moisturizer that I'd never tried before. I looked at Eric and held up one of the bottles with a questioning look. He just grinned and said he'd noticed I was almost out and asked Pam to pick something up for me. I remembered Amelia telling me that the stuff Pam used was great and I figured this was the same brand she used. I just shrugged my shoulders and decided I would think about it tomorrow as I began washing my face.

I felt Eric come up behind me as I was finishing up. "Lover, you are overdressed for this occasion." I felt tingles shoot up and down my back as his hands went to the zipper of my dress and began to lower it slowly. I never knew the sound of a zipper could be such a turn on. As he lowered the zipper, he began placing wet kisses on my skin. I was turning into a puddle right before him. Finally, he had my dress unzipped and I stepped out of it. He turned and placed it on a hanger so it wouldn't be ruined. He turned back to me and I saw his eyes cloud with lust. He came back to me, but I stopped him from kissing me and informed him that he too was overdressed. He had already removed his jacket and tie, so I started on the buttons of his shirt. I repeated his motions, kissing down his chest as I released each button, until I had the shirt completely open and off of him.

I was filled with a need for him that I had never felt before. He stepped closer to me and pulled me into one of the most passionate kisses we have ever shared. We only separated because we had to breathe. He began kissing his way down my neck, to my collarbone. I was making sounds I had never heard before and he was setting my skin on fire. I also felt a fire growing in my nether regions too. I knew my new panties were soaked by now. I ran my fingers through his hair and gave a slight pull as he looked at me. He wrapped his arms around my back and I felt him release my bra and throw it across the room as he immediately took one of my breasts in his mouth. I groaned as he worked my nipple with his tongue, making it pebble, before moving to my other one and giving it the same attention.

I moved my hands down his chest and began working on his belt buckle. I finally got it undone and shoved his pants down, allowing his erection to spring free. I stroked him a few times, loving the sound of his moans. When he moaned my name, he ripped my panties off of me, took me in his arms again and stepped into the tub. He sat down and I straddled his lap. We continued our kissing and touching until I couldn't stand it anymore. Eric had slipped his hands down to where I was craving him and slid two fingers into my core. I gasped as he moved them in and out. Finally, I couldn't take anymore. "Eric…I need to feel you inside me…please baby!" He removed his fingers and I lowered myself onto him in one movement.

I moaned his name as I felt him filling me. Once I relaxed around his size, I began moving up and down. He grabbed my hips and started moving with me. We were so worked up; we both reached our first climax quickly. Once we got our breathing under control again, we washed each other before getting out of the tub and drying each other off. Then Eric lifted me again and carried me to the bedroom. As he laid me on the huge bed, I questioned him, "I thought you said I had something more comfortable in my bag."

He smirked at me before saying, "I thought we'd just save that for tomorrow night and not ruin it by me ripping it off of you tonight." Then he was on top of me, having his way with me again. I knew I would never, ever get enough of this man…my husband. I know we set a record for us, if not a world record for number of orgasms in one night that night.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! There are only 2 more and my very first fanfic will be complete! I'm having a hard time writing these last 2 chapters though. I hope to update soon!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: OK, this chapter was the hardest one I've ever written. A HUGE thank you has to go out to APearle for helping me so much with it. I would still be stressing over it if it weren't for her and her willingness to share ideas! I also have to thank my beta, Sunkisz, for catching my mistakes. If there are any here now, they are all mine! I really hope you enjoy this one!**

Chapter 21:

The weeks following the wedding were very busy! Eric and I spent the week after the wedding together. The first couple of days we were at the hotel, which were honestly the best of my life to this point. We made excellent use of the huge tub there and I'd decided when we started looking for a larger place, I was going to have to have one of my own! I was also thinking that having our own pool would be a great idea because I was loving the time we spent there too! Apparently water went well with me and Eric. When we finally made it home, we decided that we needed to make sure the nursery was ready.

Pearl and Quinn spent a lot of time together during that week since he didn't have to be with me all the time. They were getting much closer and I could tell they were very happy. We had them over on Friday of that week and they couldn't keep their eyes off each other. Eric and I were both very happy for them.

After Eric went back to work, Quinn resumed his work guarding me and Brenna. Pearl would come by every chance she got. She had just opened her gym, so that was keeping her pretty busy. I wanted to go see it, so she promised me we would go as soon as everything was running smoothly. I finally had to stop working at the book store for a while because I couldn't do the lifting anymore. I felt bad, but Quinn told me not to worry about it because Frannie was helping out and he helped in the evenings when there was any really heavy stuff. Pearl helped too. His parents now knew they were dating and they absolutely loved Pearl. She hadn't had that kind of love in a very long time and she was very happy to have it again. My Gran was really the closest thing she had ever had to it before the Quinns.

One afternoon, I got a surprise call from Eric. I could tell he was upset and he asked me to put him on speaker phone so Quinn could hear what he was saying too. I did as he asked and Quinn joined me on the couch.

"Hey man, what's up?"

"I had a visitor today and found out some disturbing information. Sophie came to see me finally."

Quinn and I both rolled our eyes at that. "So what did she want baby?"

"What we figured. She started out by telling me she hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she had found out that the baby you are carrying isn't mine. She moved towards me to put her arms around me or something, but I stopped her in her tracks when I told her I knew that. She was floored.

Then I went on to tell her that the baby is not mine biologically, but is mine in every other way possible. She tried to convince me that it wouldn't work so I hit her with the news that we were already married and it was working fine. She hadn't heard about the wedding since it took place so quickly and while she was out of town. Being able to surprise her with that was actually kinda fun."

Quinn and I snickered. "So what's the disturbing news you mentioned man?"

I heard Eric take a deep breath. "After she cried for a while and I told her she needed to leave, she looked at me and asked me why I didn't want her. So, I told her that after she killed my baby the way she did, she killed any chance she would or could ever have of being with me again. She cried a little longer, then nodded her head in understanding. I told her that she needed to stop whatever it was she was planning because it wouldn't work. She looked at me surprised, so I told her about you helping me keep tabs on her Quinn.

Her eyes got big and she realized I knew she was helping Bill. I asked her what she thought she would accomplish by helping him and she just shrugged her shoulders. She said when she found out Sookie's baby was really Bill's, she went to see him and Bill gave her this sob story about how much he loved Sookie and the baby and how he was in there because of a big misunderstanding. She felt sorry for him, so she decided to help him get out and get Sookie back so she could have me. Sophie really is pretty stupid sometimes.

Anyway, I filled her in on what really happened and she was shocked. She felt really guilty about helping him then and I saw a very scared look cross her face. She told me that she had already given him the equipment he needed to get his monitor off so he could roam freely around while the police thought he was still at home. She apologized over and over, but I told her to leave and I called you. Are your men still following him Quinn?"

Quinn was in full business mode at this news. "No, they've been monitoring the surveillance stuff we have in place, but I will tell them that they need to start watching the house again. Eric, you should know that I'm training these guys when I can, but they are much better with the technology stuff than they are with the physical. I'll make some calls and see if I can find a couple more people who are better at the physical stuff right now!"

Quinn left the room to make his call and I took Eric off speaker. "Eric, do you think he'll come after me again?" This was down right scary and I was shaking. I couldn't control myself as thoughts of the night he and Lorena raped me went through my head, along with the night he broke into my house. I think I went into some sort of shock or something.

Quinn came back in the room after a few minutes and saw the state I was in. He sat beside me and put his arm around me. "Sookie… Sookie, snap out of it! You're ok. He's not here babe." I finally focused on Quinn and realized that I felt almost as safe with him as I did with Eric and I calmed a little as he took the phone I'd dropped in my lap and put Eric back on speaker. I could hear Eric was frantic.

"Sookie….Sookie, are you ok? SOOKIE!"

"Relax Eric, I've got her. I think she started panicking a little bit and stopped talking for a minute. I've got her now and she's calming down."

"I'm sorry I worried you Eric, I'm ok….just….afraid."

Quinn looked at me as he hugged me to him as Eric tried calming me as well. "Sookie, you know that neither Quinn nor I will let anything happen to you right?"

"He's right Sookie. I've come to regard you as one of my best friends. You can ask Eric, there aren't many people I'm close to. I will not let anything happen to you!" I could see in that moment there was a side to Quinn I'd never seen and didn't really think I wanted to.

"Sookie, I wish I was there now to comfort you, but I know you're safe with Quinn. Please calm down ok. You're safe."

I just nodded and Quinn chuckled as he reminded me that Eric couldn't hear a nod. "Yes Eric, I know that. What do we do now?"

Quinn took charge. "I called my guys and they are heading over to the house. I also called the officer overseeing Bill's case and informed him of what we've been told. He is heading over there now to search the place and see if they find anything. My gut tells me that Bill will have hidden everything very well though, so I think we are going to have to be extra careful for a while. If you guys want to go out, I think Pearl and I should tag along. I may even ask Pearl to pitch in some since she is very good at self defense and can go places with Sookie that we can't Eric. She's actually the best woman I've ever seen and that's saying something!"

Eric and I agreed with everything Quinn said. I talked with Eric a little more before he had to get back to work. The next several weeks were a blur and it seemed Quinn was around all the time now and Pearl was with him every evening. I loved having them around, but I was constantly worried about the real reason they were there so much now.

Pearl and I finally got a chance to get in some girl time one night when she and Quinn were over at our place. The guys were engrossed in some video game, so we found a quiet place to talk. Pearl told me that Quinn knew all about her past. I figured she had told him at least some of it, but I was really surprised that she told him all of it. She said she had a feeling that he already knew somehow and I swore to her that he didn't hear it from me. She just nodded and said she knew that. She honestly thought Jason was the one who spilled the beans, but she figured he did it out of concern for her and she knew he would only tell something like that to Quinn. She also got a huge goofy grin on her face as she told me that Quinn had finally told her he loved her. I squealed and hugged her when she said she had returned the sentiment. She also asked me if I was ready to go see her gym. I gave her a very excited yes and we decided Quinn and I would go the following day.

I felt the baby start moving around and Pearl put her hand on my belly as she had developed a habit of doing. She asked me how far along I was and I told her I was 36 weeks - almost full-term and ready to see my baby girl! Eric and Quinn came in then and lifted both of us as they sat down, placing us on their laps. We really had become quite the foursome and I loved it. After talking a bit more, Pearl and Quinn left. Eric and I got in the tub and talked for a long time before turning into bed. I found out that Quinn had told him that he loved Pearl and that she loved him too. Eric was so happy for them, just like me, but I saw concern on his face too.

"What's wrong baby?"

He turned to me, "Oh, nothing….I was just thinking about Quinn and Pearl."

"Ok, what about them?"

"Quinn told me that Pearl finally filled him in about her past. I'm worried what he might do."

"What do you mean? He shouldn't do anything right?"

"Sookie, Quinn can be a very dangerous man…it's the training he's had. That's what makes him the best at what he does. I don't think he will try to right the wrongs of the past, but I am concerned what he would do if someone were to hurt Pearl now that she's with him."

"Well, let's hope that doesn't happen. I don't want Pearl going through anything even remotely close to what she's already had to deal with."

Eric agreed with me as we snuggled together and fell asleep.

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The next morning, after Eric left for work and Quinn and I finished with our breakfast, we headed out for the day. I had a few things to take care of before we made our way to Pearl's gym. We finally arrived around 11:00 and Pearl was waiting on us at a side door because Quinn had called ahead to let her know we were on the way. I found out that we were going through an employee entrance near Pearl's office so we could avoid the crowded lobby. I huffed a little because I wanted to see the whole thing, so she and Quinn took me out front and my tour started in the lobby as it should! I couldn't believe how great everything looked! I knew it was just a gym, but Pearl had really done a bang up job and had made it look very welcoming. It honestly didn't look much like a gym from the lobby. She explained about some expansions she planned to make down the road and thought her lobby should be an entrance for everything she was going to offer. It sounded like she was going to eventually be running a day spa/gym and I loved the idea!

As we were getting ready to leave the lobby, a man accidentally bumped into me on his way in. He mumbled some sort of apology as Quinn pulled me closer, maneuvering me behind him, and glared at the man. He was wearing a baseball cap which covered most of his face, but I got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't place what could be wrong though, so I shook it off and we went on with the tour.

The gym was so awesome! She had really done a great job! She even installed some of those swim spa things so people could get the benefits of swimming without having to install a huge pool. I thought it was a great idea! She had a separate area that housed a couple of hot tubs people could relax in after exercising. I was looking forward to using this gym after I had the baby. Of course she had an area for children and kept it fully staffed so her members who had children could exercise without worrying about their kids. She had promised that I wouldn't have to use that area often because she would watch Brenna herself. I told her that I'd have to use it more often than she thought because I intended for her to be my work out partner! Quinn said that we might just have to hire someone specifically for Brenna because he wasn't sure he was going to trust just anyone to watch her. We all laughed as I had a stray thought, but I decided to file it away for a later conversation with Eric.

As we were leaving the children's area and entering a main hallway, Quinn's phone rang. He looked at the id and said he needed to take it. Pearl was telling me more about the expansions she wanted to make in the future and she even asked me if I might be interested in helping her with some of them. I got very excited about that! I loved the book store, but to be able to work with Pearl on something like this was something I found I really wanted to do.

Quinn had finished up his call and was heading back to us. Just as he began talking about us needing to make some plans for lunch, I noticed the man from the lobby earlier was back and seemed to be staring at me, then at Pearl. I got the same feeling in the pit of my stomach again and instinctively moved closer to Quinn, pulling Pearl with me. He noticed my movement and started scanning the area quickly. He spotted the man almost immediately. His voice was very firm as he asked "Can we help you sir?" I could tell he didn't want trouble in Pearl's gym if he could avoid it.

The man kept staring and didn't say anything. I noticed he was almost staring more at Pearl than at me. Quinn noticed too, so he started moving towards the man. I was so nervous and Brenna was going crazy. I think she knew something wasn't right. Just as Quinn was about to reach the man, I saw him pull out a gun. Quinn yelled out as the man fired the gun and Pearl instinctively jumped in front of me. I was down, with Pearl on top of me. It had happened so fast, I didn't know how Quinn had managed to warn us.

I felt Pearl slide off of me as I grabbed my purse and reached in for my gun as I looked and saw the man holding the gun on Quinn. I really hoped Quinn could handle the situation, but I shouldn't have worried. Almost before I could blink, Quinn had wrestled him to the ground with ease and removed the gun from his hand. Amazingly, the hat was still on this guy and I wanted to know who the heck he was. I asked this very question as Quinn ripped the hat off. I gasped, not believing my eyes…it was Bill. I moved to a standing position as Bill started talking.

"So Sookie, is this your new guy? You are getting around a lot these days aren't you."

I refused to answer his question. "It's over Bill. You really are stupid for coming here and trying this."

"Oh, I don't think so. See, I'm going to make sure that no one can have you since you think you're too good for me. I'll make sure that baby growing inside you is well taken care of too!"

Bill really had taken a dive off the deep end. I saw red when he threatened my baby, but when I turned to say something to Pearl, my breath caught again. I saw Pearl still lying on the floor and a red pool of liquid had started forming under her body. I ran to her as we began to hear sirens in the distance. Someone must have already called 911. Quinn heard my gasp and saw Pearl too. I could tell he was having trouble remaining calm.

He took one look at Bill and I saw the man that Eric had told me he was worried about. I'd never seen Quinn so angry and I knew that anger was making him more and more dangerous by the second. Quinn began to beat on Bill mercilessly. I knew he could and would kill him with his bare hands if I didn't do something. I didn't know what to do though. I'd be crazy to try to physically stop him, so I did the only thing I could think of.

"Quinn! You have to stop. Pearl needs you now…you can't risk going to jail yourself… he's not worth it!" Thankfully, he stopped. It had to be hearing Pearl's name that stopped him. I honestly don't think anything else would've had any effect on him at all. He pulled some handcuffs out of his back pocket and wrapped Bill around a pole nearby, locking his wrists in the cuffs before darting over to Pearl. He wanted to move her, roll her over I think, but he's a smart man and knew he couldn't.

We saw 2 men coming up the hall with a gurney. Police officers also arrived and checked on Bill. As the EMS workers were carefully working on Pearl, we heard Bill start laughing. Quinn and I both turned towards him for a moment.

"Oh, this has been a great day! I couldn't take care of you" he said looking at me, "or you," he looked at Quinn, "but I did get revenge on the girl who caused me to have to leave town in the first place!" Quinn looked at me as the realization hit.

"No, no, NO you can't be…." Bill just laughed again as another EMS worker was putting a bandage on him.

"Of course I can Sookie. Pearl shouldn't have led me on like she did. She got exactly what she deserved! I had to go through some painful plastic surgery so I could lead a half way normal life. But I knew I'd get my revenge. I figured torturing her best friend would be a good place to start."

I sank to my knees as Quinn knelt and whispered "What's going on Sookie?" I looked up with tears rolling down my face. At that moment, Bill managed to grab one of the officers' guns and point it towards me. I stood and raised my own gun, pointing it at him. Bill laughed again.

"Oh, oh, oh, well look who's trying to be brave all of the sudden. Sookie, you don't honestly think I believe you'd be capable of using that thing do you? You don't even know how to use one of those! You are such a scaredy cat…you don't have it in you to do something like this."

"That's where you're wrong Bill. I know exactly how to use one of these thanks to my brother. Now stop this nonsense and drop your gun. I will not allow you to harm me or my baby…not anymore." I was through letting Bill Compton control my life.

He just laughed at my words…you know one of those crazy sounding laughs. Then he aimed his gun and I didn't think at all as I fired my gun, hitting Bill in the chest. My hands weren't even shaking as I lowered my gun and Bill fell to the ground. Jason had always told me I had the steadiest hands he'd ever seen. I guess he was right. I did as he had taught me and it turns out Jason Stackhouse is a heck of a teacher! I didn't think, I just acted and my aim was perfect.

I turned back to Pearl as I heard a strange noise behind me. I turned and saw Bill, pointing his gun at me again with a sick, twisted smile on his face. I heard a shot ring out and flinched, thinking I'd been the one shot this time. He'd been aiming at my swollen belly, so I immediately looked there. I saw nothing so I looked up again and saw Quinn lowering his gun this time. He'd shot Bill and this time he wasn't moving. Officers ran over to Bill as two made their way over to Quinn and me. Quinn pulled out his identification as he watched them loading Pearl onto a gurney. I pulled my stuff out too, proving that we both had the proper paperwork to carry guns. Thankfully, the officers had witnessed what happened first hand and knew we'd acted in self-defense.

Another EMS worker was checking on Bill now that the gun had been secured. He confirmed what I already knew….Bill was dead. I felt so guilty to feel relieved about that. Even though he was as awful and evil as he was, he was still another human being.

We turned back to Pearl and saw that she'd been loaded onto the gurney, so we followed them out. Quinn told one of the officers as we were walking out that they could find us at the hospital later for statements. We followed the ambulance in Quinn's car. With everything that had just happened, I didn't notice till that moment that I was cramping badly. As I doubled over with a particularly bad cramp, I felt a gush of liquid between my legs. "Oh no….not yet!" Quinn looked at me as I told him my water had just broken and I was going into labor.

He grabbed his phone and called Eric. All he said was, "Get to the hospital NOW!" and he hung up. He took my hand as we sped to the hospital behind the ambulance. I grasped his hand like a lifeline. When we arrived at the hospital, the EMS workers tried to tell Quinn he couldn't park there behind them as he was helping me out. He bellowed at them, "I can park anywhere right now because her water has broken and she's in labor!"

A different worker who happened to be coming out of the emergency room heard what Quinn said and grabbed a wheel chair for me. He made sure I was in the chair alright and I told him to stay with Pearl. He had protected me, now he needed to be there for her. He finally let down his guard and I saw tears form in his eyes as he nodded. I grabbed his hand before they wheeled me away.

"Quinn, she will be ok. She's tough and has so much to live for now. She has you."

They whisked me away to get me checked out and settled down. Turned out I was in labor just like I thought and my doctor was called in. Eric arrived shortly after they got me to my birthing room. I was so scared because it was too soon for the baby to come and I was really scared about Pearl. Eric smoothed my hair as he told me he had seen Quinn downstairs and he told him she was being taken to surgery to remove the bullet. Eric had called Pam on his way to the hospital and she had called Jason and Amelia. They were waiting downstairs with Quinn. I was glad they were there.

My labor progressed rather quickly, especially for a first baby. Two hours after arriving at the hospital, they had given Eric scrubs to put on and I was pushing with everything I had in me. About 30 minutes after that, they told me the baby was crowning and it wouldn't be long now. A few more pushes and I heard the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. Brenna was crying loudly. They placed her on my tummy and asked Eric if he wanted to cut the chord. He did and I pulled her to me as they finished working on me. She turned her little face and I instinctively started nursing her. The nurses let her finish before taking her to get cleaned up and such. Eric and I both were crying. She was so beautiful.

An hour or so later, they had me cleaned up and had returned Brenna to my room. She began nursing again, having not taken much the first time. Once she finished, I asked Eric if he was ready to hold his baby girl. With tears in his eyes, he just nodded and took her from me. I heard a knock on the door as I was watching Eric hold our baby girl. He looked so very happy. I had tears in my eyes again as I looked to the door and saw our siblings. They came in and went straight to Eric and Brenna. Well, Pam and Amelia did anyway. Jason came to me and kissed me on my head before asking if I was alright. I told him I was and asked about Pearl. He looked grim.

"She's out of surgery Sook, but she's not out of the woods yet. They said the next 48 hours were critical. Quinn's with her. We called Frannie and she's here with him now. We told her we'd let them know how you were doing. He's a wreck Sookie. He loves her so much."

I had tears for a different reason now. "Yes Jason, he does. She's going to pull through this because she has him to live for now." He sat beside me and hugged me as we both cried for Pearl. It was just like all those years ago when we had to wait to see what would happen with her. Amelia came to my other side and joined the hug. She said the same thing I did, that Pearl would be fine now that she had Quinn.

I looked over and saw Pam holding Brenna. Jason and Amelia moved so Eric could hold me. After a few moments, Amelia asked if Brenna was ok since she came a little early and all. Eric answered that she was fine, that everything looked great and she should be able to leave the hospital when I did. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Eric looked at me and whispered, "Sookie, since our siblings are here with you and Brenna, would you mind if I went down and checked on Quinn?"

I looked up at him and nodded. "Of course you should go check on Quinn. Please tell him to remember what I told him before they took me away." He said he would and told the others he would be right back.

After he left the room, Pam looked over at me once she handed Brenna to Amelia. "Sookie, I've been meaning to ask, where did you two come up with the name Brenna? It's pretty, but different."

I realized that in all the stuff we'd been dealing with that Eric hadn't told her where we got the name from. "I think we should wait for Eric to come back before getting into that story."

"Ok, then what happened today?"

Amelia and Jason were paying attention now too. Thankfully they hadn't bugged Quinn for information. He didn't need that then and they knew it. I filled them in on everything and they were all very glad that Bill was finally dead. I also filled them in on what Bill had revealed in those final moments and they couldn't believe that Bill was the same guy who had hurt Pearl so badly when we were kids. Jason was shaking, he was so angry. I touched his arm and he looked over at me. "Sookie, I almost wish he wasn't dead so that I could go kill him myself. He almost completely ruined 2 of my sisters' lives. You know I see Pearl as a sister. How could we not have known? And he planned it all out…. purposely intending on hurting you, over and over." He looked away. I knew he was having a hard time with this. Amelia was crying and Pam was holding Brenna again. I held out my arms to take her, then Pam wrapped her arms around Amelia.

We all ended up on the bed, holding each other. It had been a very emotional day. When Eric returned, I was asleep, leaning on Jason. He took Brenna and Pam and Amelia left. Jason decided to stick around because when I heard him start talking, I woke up. He moved and let Eric take his spot as he finally got a chance to hold Brenna. I asked Eric how Pearl was doing and he said she was still unconscious but her vitals were good. I leaned over onto him as he and Jason talked about the day's events. I couldn't tell it again, so I let Jason do it, filling in areas that I needed to. Eric tightened his hold on me. I knew he was thinking about how close he had come to losing me again today, Brenna too for that matter. Jason decided that we needed some time alone and handed Brenna to Eric before he left. I nursed her again and let Eric laid her down in her bassinet.

He climbed back on the bed with me and began stroking my hair. He took a deep breath and I looked up as he said, "Sookie, are you sure you're alright?"

I snuggled closer to him. "Yes, I'm fine. I feel guilty that I'm relieved he's dead. I don't know why I feel that way after everything he did to me and what we found out today. What's wrong with me Eric?"

"Nothing Sookie, you're a kind, loving person. I'm not surprised you feel this way actually. I'm very relieved too."

"I think I'll be able to get over this feeling though. When I think about all of it, I still feel a lot of anger towards him. He played me for a fool Eric, a bigger one than we knew at the time."

He tightened his grip on me. "You didn't know Sookie, no one did. It's not your fault. I'm just so grateful that you and Brenna weren't hurt. I came so close to losing both of you today." He choked out the last words and I saw his eyes fill with tears.

"Well, you didn't lose us, thanks to Quinn and Pearl. She has to be ok Eric. I can't lose her now…especially not because of the same jerk again!" My eyes were filling with tears now.

"I think she will be fine Sookie. It's just going to take some time."

"How's Quinn?"

"Shaken up. I've never seen him so…lost. When she came out of surgery, he seemed a little better, but he won't be fine until he sees that she will be. I'm shocked he didn't kill Bill with his bare hands once he realized Pearl was hurt."

"I think he would have if I hadn't convinced him to stop beating on him. I knew he would risk jail so I convinced him by using Pearl and how much she needs him."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be the only thing to make him stop when he gets in that mode. I'm glad it worked."

"Me too."

"I love you Sookie. I love you more than I ever thought possible. You and Brenna are my life now."

"I love you too baby." I yawned and Eric pulled me closer to him as we both fell into a much needed sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Well, here it is, the last chapter of my first ever fanfic. I hope you like it! I'll catch everyone at the end!**

Chapter 22:

I woke to Brenna's cries a couple of hours later. Eric heard her too and brought her to me so she could eat. As she nursed, Eric just sat and watched her. "Sookie, I can't believe how much I love this little baby. I always knew I wanted to be a father, but I wasn't expecting to feel like this…"

I saw a tear escape his eye as he watched Brenna finish up. I handed her back to Eric so he could have some bonding time too. He made sure she burped, changed her diaper, and then got comfortable as she drifted back to sleep in his arms. We both went back to sleep shortly after she did.

That was how we spent the first night with Brenna. She woke every couple of hours, I would nurse her, and Eric would make sure she was clean. It's not that I minded cleaning her up, but with Eric not being able to feed her, he wanted to do something so he could bond with her too. I thought it was very sweet and I knew I would be dealing with my fair share of dirty diapers very soon!

The next morning, we at least got to eat breakfast before our first visitors showed up. Pam and Amelia dropped in before they had to go to work. They loved being aunts already and had brought a few things for Brenna with them. Thankfully, they had also thought to bring me a bag with toiletries and some clean clothes. They had one for Eric as well. He decided to jump in the shower before they had to leave. We visited for a while and asked if we'd heard anything about Pearl. I told them we hadn't but I felt sure Eric would be going down soon to check on her and on Quinn.

They left right after Eric came out of the bathroom. I could tell he felt a lot better after a shower, so I decided to try it too. Upon entering the bathroom, I noticed they had a tub with jets in it, so I decided to take a bath instead. Even though Brenna's delivery had been smooth, I was still pretty sore and thought those jets would help. Boy was I right! Eric came to check on me after about 30 minutes and I decided I should stop soaking and get on out. I also knew it would be time for Brenna to nurse again soon.

I dressed in a nursing top and pajama bottoms that Pam and Amelia had packed for me. Comfort and easy access were going to be required for a while I figured! I ran a brush through my hair but decided against make-up. When I got back in the bed, Eric handed Brenna to me and she started nursing as soon as I got my top opened. As she nursed, I looked over at Eric. "So, when are you heading down to check on Pearl and Quinn? I'm really wondering how she did overnight."

"The nurse was in here while you were in the bathroom and she said the doctor would be coming around shortly. I thought I would stay until we saw him and then head down while Brenna was napping."

I nodded as I switched Brenna to the other breast. There was a knock on our door and we were expecting it to be the doctor. It wasn't. Eric stood up as Quinn entered the room.

"I was coming down to see you once Sookie's doctor left man. How are things this morning?"

Quinn looked rough. I could tell he had not slept much at all. He looked over at me and started to turn away. "Oh, I'm sorry Sookie, I can come back later." I realized he wasn't sure I'd be comfortable nursing Brenna in front of him.

"Nonsense Quinn. You're family. If this makes you uncomfortable, I can cover up. It doesn't bother me to feed my baby in front of you." I smiled at him and saw him relax a little.

"I'm ok with it if you and Eric are Sookie." He tried to grin, but it just wasn't working. Eric went to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"How is she this morning?" I looked up after fastening my top and getting Brenna into position to burp.

Quinn took a deep breath. "She's still unconscious, but they say her vitals look good. She was hit pretty close to her heart, but not close enough to kill her. Thankfully, they were able to remove the bullet and they have got her on antibiotics just in case any infection tries to crop up. They made me leave the room while they checked her over. I didn't know where to go, so I came here."

Eric nodded. "I'm glad you did man." He walked over to me and took Brenna. "You can meet my beautiful baby girl. Quinn, this is Brenna." He turned her around so Quinn could get a good look at her. She opened her eyes a little and it looked like she smiled at Quinn. He put his large hand up to touch her little face and she took one of his fingers in her hand and held on for a little bit.

"She's very beautiful Eric. Congratulations. Sookie, I'm glad to say that she looks just like her Mama." Eric agreed with Quinn as I thanked him. He looked at the clock and decided that he wanted to get back to Pearl.

"Quinn, wait…" He turned to me. "I never got a chance to thank you for everything you did for me yesterday. You saved my life and my baby's life. I still believe that Pearl will pull through this. She has a lot to live for you know." I squeezed his hand and pulled him down to me for a hug.

He had tears in his eyes as he pulled away and thanked me. Eric handed Brenna back to me and said he was going to walk back down with Quinn for a little while. I nodded and decided to take a little nap with my baby girl.

(Eric)

The last 24 hours had certainly been crazy. I felt like I'd been on a roller coaster. I'll never forget the panic I felt shoot through me when Quinn called and only told me to get to the hospital. He hung up after he said it, so I had no clue what was going on. When I got there, I discovered that Pearl had been shot protecting Sookie and that Sookie was in labor. I rushed to find Sookie.

Thankfully, I made it in time to see our baby girl come into the world. Holding that perfect little bundle was more than I'd ever hoped for. I knew I'd always wanted to be a father, but the feelings I had for this little girl were just overwhelming. I couldn't imagine feeling any differently if this had been my biological child. Once we found out Sookie and the baby were both doing well, and our siblings had come up to see their new niece, I decided to go down and check on Quinn and Pearl. When I got there, I wasn't prepared for the sight I saw.

Quinn was crushed. I'd never seen him look like that during the entire time I'd known him. He was lost without Pearl. He told me that she had come out of surgery ok, but it was still touch and go. I sat beside him and simply said 'thank you' to him for protecting Sookie and Brenna. I gave him the message that Sookie had asked me to give him and he nodded that he understood. I knew now wasn't the time to get the details out of him as to what had happened. I knew that Bill was somehow involved and that Pearl had been shot. I figured I could talk to Sookie about it later on.

A nurse came out of Pearl's room and told Quinn that she had been mumbling his name, so she wanted him to come in and talk to her, let her know he was there. As he walked into the room, I caught a glimpse of Pearl and was very concerned. She had all kinds of tubes coming off of her body and I heard Quinn let out a sob before he could stop himself. I didn't leave until I saw him sit down beside her, take her hand as best he could, and start talking to her. This was without a doubt the hardest thing I'd ever seen Quinn have to deal with and I knew it could just as easily of been Sookie in Pearl's place with me in Quinn's. I hurried back to my family.

When I entered the room, all 4 adults were on the bed, holding each other. Pam was holding Brenna. I could tell that they must've talked about what had happened today. I took Brenna from Pam as she said she had a question for me. I nodded for her to ask.

"I casually mentioned this to Sookie, and her answer intrigued me. I asked her where you two came up with Brenna's name and all she said is we should wait for you to get back. What's that about?"

I realized that with everything going on, I never did get around to telling Pam about our baby sister. When I finished explaining it to her, both she and Amelia had tears in their eyes.

"Why didn't I know about that Eric?" Pam asked as her tears escaped her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

"You were very young when it happened Pam. I didn't think about it much, but when Sookie and I had our conversation about names, I thought about it and Sookie loved the name."

Pam nodded as Amelia wrapped her arms around her. After they each hugged me and kissed Brenna's forehead, they left for the evening.

Sookie was leaning on Jason, asleep. He tried to ask how Pearl was as quietly as he could, but hearing his voice, Sookie woke up. He stood, taking Brenna from me so I could hold Sookie. I told her about Pearl and she just nodded as she rested her head on my chest. I asked what happened today and Jason filled me in. I think Sookie was just drained. She would fill in a detail here and there, as needed though. I couldn't believe what Bill had tried to do to my family, but to discover he was the one who had hurt Pearl so badly all those years ago was simply sickening. I was so glad he was dead and couldn't hurt anyone ever again. That might not be the right way to think, but it was the way I felt.

Jason left shortly after filling me in on what had happened today. Once we got Brenna fed and clean, we talked for a bit before drifting off to sleep. Brenna woke up every couple of hours to nurse and I would make sure she was clean. I couldn't feed her since Sookie kind of had to take care of that, but I wanted to do something that would help her bond with me as well. I still couldn't believe how much I loved this little creature. I was looking at her sweet little face after one of those changes and noticed that she looked like Sookie. I was relieved that I saw no traces of Bill Compton in this perfect little girl. It even looked like she would have blonde hair, just like her Mama.

Quinn came to see us the following morning. We were very glad to hear that Pearl had made it through the night. After he talked with Sookie a little and looked Brenna over, he wanted to get back to Pearl. I walked down with him. Once we were alone, I decided I had to get something off my chest. "Quinn, I didn't want you to deal with all of this last night. Sookie, filled me in on what happened yesterday. Well, she had already told Jason, so he told me what she had said. I don't know what to say. You really did save my family. I am so sorry that this happened to Pearl though. If there is ANYTHING you need, don't hesitate. I owe you big time man."

Quinn just nodded and was about to say something when a nurse flew out of Pearl's room and grabbed Quinn's wrist, effectively jerking him into the room. I was worried, so I waited. About 20 minutes later, the door opened again and Quinn emerged with a huge grin on him face. He came to me and wrapped me into a hug as he said, "She's awake!"

I hugged him back. This man was my brother and had just been given his life back. "That's the best news I've heard today brother! I'll go tell Sookie. You get back in there and take care of your woman! Tell her we love her and will see her soon ok." He nodded and hurried back in the room. I hurried back to Sookie's room.

When I entered, I saw Sookie was asleep with Brenna in her arms. I decided to move Brenna to her bassinet. Sookie woke up as I was covering Brenna up and asked how Pearl was doing. I turned to her with a large smile on my face. "She's awake baby. It happened just a few minutes ago. Quinn's with her now and I told him to let her know we loved her and would see her soon."

Sookie was crying tears of joy. I went to her and wrapped her in my arms as the doctor knocked and entered the room. "So, what are all these tears for young lady?"

She wiped her eyes as she said, "We just found out that my best friend is going to be ok. She's awake now. When will I be able to go down to see her myself?"

The doctor told us how happy he was for us and started checking Sookie. "Well, you are healing nicely and the baby is doing great. How bout we cut y'all loose today?"

Sookie squealed a little as he added, "I think you should also be able to visit your friend before leaving the hospital." He left to get the paperwork together and Sookie could barely contain herself. I called Pam and asked her if she could swing over to our place to get Brenna's car seat and bring it to us. She was thrilled to hear that we were leaving and about Pearl. She said she'd get the seat for us too.

About an hour or so later, Pam had arrived with the car seat and installed it in my car. She had to get back to work, so she just called and told me it was there. We couldn't carry Brenna out in it anyway because she had to leave the hospital in Sookie's arms.

A nurse came in and had me sign the discharge papers and we were off. Sookie didn't like having to ride in a wheel chair, but it was hospital policy. We stopped on the floor Pearl was on and I held Brenna while Sookie went in to see her. She wasn't there long, but when she came out, she was crying happy tears. She got back in the chair and took Brenna so we could go home.

(Sookie)

I was never so happy to be home in my life. Bringing Brenna home with us was an amazing feeling. On the way home, I told Eric that Pearl was going to be just fine. She was pretty out of it, but when she saw me, her face lit up. I found out she'd been concerned that something had happened to me. I laughed a little and told her that she had prevented that from happening. I tried to hug her as best I could and promised her I would be back tomorrow. She made me promise to bring pictures of Brenna with me and I agreed.

That night as I snuggled up to Eric, I finally allowed myself to deal with everything that had happened. I couldn't believe it was finally over. Bill couldn't hurt me or anyone I loved again. I felt completely safe and secure and it was a very good feeling. I drifted off to sleep, knowing I'd be up in a couple of hours to feed my beautiful baby.

* * *

(Epilogue – 2 years later)

I was putting the final touches on Brenna's birthday cake when Eric came bounding into the room with her squealing on his shoulders. My baby girl was 2 years old today. I couldn't believe it! We were having a party for her that would be starting very soon. Eric put her down so she could get a better look at her cake.

She gave me a huge smile before wandering into the living room with her Daddy at her heels. She had him so wrapped around her little fingers. I felt truly sorry for the young men who would try to date her in the coming years. Eric was not going to be easy on them at all! I absentmindedly rubbed my tummy as I was lost in thought. I couldn't wait to give Eric his surprise!

I joined my family in the living room as our guests started to arrive. Quinn and Pearl were first, as usual. They had agreed to be Brenna's godparents and they spoiled her rotten! Course so did everyone else. Pam and Amelia arrived next, with Jason on their heels. He told us he was bringing his new girlfriend with him and we were all shocked to see it was Frannie! I glanced over at Quinn and noticed him give Jason a nod of approval. Sam arrived next with a very pregnant Tara and I knew they were going to join the parenting ranks anyday now. They were having a little boy.

Since everyone had arrived, I turned to Brenna and asked her what she wanted to do first; open presents or eat cake and ice cream. She shouted 'presents' of course! She got so many new things that I was glad we were moving soon. We had decided it was time to get that larger house and we were closing on it next month. We had also sold this place and would close on it the following week, giving us enough time to get everything out.

After the cake and ice cream was consumed, Sam left to get Tara home. I remembered how uncomfortable it gets at the very end, so I told her to go home and put her feet up! I even told Sam that a foot rub would do wonders for her. She gave me a big thank you and they left. I joined everyone in the living room as Brenna was playing with her new toys.

This night proved to be a night of surprises. Pearl and Quinn announced they were getting married and Pam and Amelia announced that they were pregnant! (They had decided they wanted a baby and after deciding that Amelia should carry it, they went through the procedure to make it happen!) Everyone was so excited!

I turned to Eric and asked him if he was ready for his surprise since everyone else was sharing theirs. He looked confused as I leaned over to whisper in his ear, "You ready to be a Daddy again?"

He looked at me for a moment, letting my question sink in. Then, as a huge smile spread across his face, he jumped up and took me in his arms. "Are you serious Sookie?!"

I giggled as I confirmed it and he twirled me around. Everyone was just laughing at us until Eric said, "We're having another baby!!!" Then we heard congratulations all around.

After everyone had shared their good news, the party broke up. We got Brenna into some new pajamas and tucked her into bed. As we settled in ourselves, I couldn't help but think back on the time I've had with Eric and Brenna. I didn't think it was possible, but Eric showed me I could start my life over and find love again. I snuggled as close to him as I could get and whispered, "Thank you for loving me," as he began to kiss me like only he could.

88888888 **The End** 88888888

**A/N: I truly hope everyone liked it. I can't thank everyone enough for all the awesome reviews and pms I received as I wrote this story. I tried to respond to them, but it got overwhelming, so I decided to do one huge thank you now. I now understand what the other writers mean when they say the reviews make them write faster! :o)**

**I am planning to do more writing, but I will be taking a hiatus for a while. I'm expecting my 3rd child in a few weeks and have way too much to do before she gets here. But, I WILL be returning, so if you liked my writing, and me to your alerts! :o)**

**I can't wrap this up without thanking a few specific people. First, my awesome beta, Sunkisz. She has been great and has kept me from making a bunch of mistakes! Next is txone. She helped me out a lot as I was preparing to write my first lemony scenes and I am forever grateful to her! Last, but certainly not least is APearle. She has been completely awesome, allowing me to bounce ideas off of her, and she gave excellent suggestions! She even cowrote a couple of the chapters, her ideas were so great! I never would have made it through this fic without these ladies. If you haven't already, you should definitely checkout their stories!**

**Now, as a selfish request....I will be on maternity leave in a few weeks and hope all of you awesome writers out there will keep your stories and updates coming so I will have something to read as I heal! **

**:o) Amy**


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